Gender Confusion the Saga of Sam
by Wings Of Dean
Summary: I might not update much, ADOPTED FROM WININGSOFMORPHIUS- Sick of her parents, Samantha Manson takes refuge at an all boy's school. No one would think of looking for her there! But what happens when her roommate's a hottie with a big secret of his own.
1. Chapter 1

**I have decided to take over Gender Confustion the Saga of Sam because Wings of Morphis gave it up and Elena Forest hasnt uploaded in a while (since 3-22-10), if you wish to read theirs, go to my profile, and to my favorites, to read them,**

* * *

_I'd like to start this out by saying what an inhumanely cruel punishment this is. Not that I don't enjoy writing, but do you have any idea how embarrassing this is gonna be? I don't know who's gonna be reading this! If I get stopped on the street and questioned about this, I'm kicking his ass, deal or no deal._

_With that firmly behind me, now the question of exactly who I am must be answered. My name is Sam Manson, short for Samantha but anyone who tries to call me that might suddenly find themselves missing some important appendages. To start this story, I'll have to tell you that we Mansons are a prim, proper family, who no one could say anything bad about. _

_My mother, Marguerite Danielle Manson, was a member of several local garden clubs, and an avid supporter of some of the most expensive clothing brands known to man. And Dad, Gregory Thomas Manson, was a businessman and golfer, not to mention a highly respected member of the local Polo Club._

_Even their oldest son and my big bro, Mathew Pavlov Manson, was a respected student in the Private All-Boys school district he attended, Casper. One of the best schools in the world, actually. With a perfect GPA and a starting position on the Football Team in Casper University, Matt was every teacher's idea of the perfect student._

_Then there was me…_

"_**!"**_ I screamed, flopping onto my bed. Tears streamed down my face as I began to rip furiously at my black and dark violet pillows, tearing out the stuffing and throwing it all over my otherwise neat room.

Better the pillows then my snooty, image-conscious parents, right?

I'm fifteen years old, and was connected to my uber-rich family by name alone. Well, not completely true. Matt is cool enough, but my parents are an absolute _nightmare_. They hate that I'm a vegetarian, they hate that I'm a Goth, but most of all, though, they hate that I'm _me_. They'd always wanted a perfect little girl who liked dollies and pink and always wore dresses. That wasn't me at all, and I made sure everybody knew it by the time I was in preschool.

Concentrating back on the dilemma at hand, I picked up the phone and hit speed dial 1, glad (And not for the first time) that I had a private line. The phone rang three times before being picked up and answered by a warm, familiar voice.

"Hel-"

"I hate them!" I snarled angrily before the greeting was finished. The person on the other line sighed, obviously used to this by now.

"Hello, Sam," Matt, the voice of reason and 'neutral territory' of the family, said dryly. "What'd they do now?"

"They're shipping me off to a boarding school in London!" I snapped, not bothering to lower my voice. My parents were still steaming in the living room, and I didn't give a damn what the hell thought of me. Not that I thought I was better then them or anything like that, it's just that that was just my general attitude with everyone. It was even embodied in the shirt Tina gave me for Christmas reading 'It's not that I'm not listening, I just don't give a damn,' _**"LONDON!"**_

"Not fond of Britain, Sis?"

"Get real, Matt," I growled, "I can't believe they'd do something like this to me! The police didn't even arrest me, and those poor lab animals deserved to roam free! I don't want to go to the same school as Morgan!"

Morgan, you see, was my bratty cousin, not to mention a prep personified. She lived for the pleasure of shooting down boys and showing off the most expensive mink coats money can buy. I had a feeling that my parents wanted me to turn out just like Morgan is, and that they were disappointed I would rather eat my own eyeballs then wear fur. And boyfriends? HAH!

As far as that went, I can't say I'd ever had a guy before. Not that I was ugly or anything, I mean I'm no super model but I've gotten enough lewd comments yelled at me to know plenty of men find me attractive. But a lot of guys were intimidated by me, even those I hung out around with. Matt said once that was because I always looked like one wrong word meant I'd attack someone with my oh-so-friendly looking spiked bracelet.

Tempting thought, sometimes…

"I'm sure your tree-hugging friends who bailed and left you for dead would agree." Matt said, amused.

"Ma-att!" I groaned, frustrated at my brother's attitude, which was weird even by my standards. "Can't you show a little more sympathy?"

"Nope," Matt said casually. "I'm too busy putting the finishing touches on your student transfer."Okay, that one made my eyebrow kicked up.

"What?"

"Remember how you always said you could do better then me at Casper if you could have attended?"

"Yeah…" I said slowly, remembering the Christmas Dinner I'd made the claim over. Mom had cut off whatever reply Matt would've made by stating primly that we'd never find out, since I was a girl and should do well to remember it.

"Samuel Gregory Manson, you just got accepted as a Casper High Sophomore. Congratulations_, _**Cuz.**" I sat, dumbstruck. The words didn't sink in for a few minutes, but went they did, I felt as if someone had pored ice water over my head.

"_**WHAT?**_" I yelled as soon as I regained the ability to speak. That was all I could manage though. My mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a minute after that, but I just couldn't think of anything else to add. Besides, that pretty much summed everything up nicely, I'd like to think.

"Mom and Dad told me about the London thing a week ago." Matt explained, "They were just looking for the right excuse to send you off. And since I knew you'd hate it there…" I came out of my shock at that and grinned. Not because my parents are cold-hearted snobs that wanted to unload me off to another country, oh no. I was grinning because I had the absolute _**greatest **_older brother any girl could ask for.

"Matt, you have no idea how much I love you right now!" I exclaimed, feeling like I was about to burst. I made a mental note to give him something very, _very_ nice for his birthday. Nothing expensive like the crap mom and dad bought us either. No way. I'm talking something he could really appreciate.

"You just have to help my friend Jazz out with her piece for the Newspaper for Wendy High." I couldn't help it, I made a face at _that_ name. Wendy, Casper's sister school district from middle school onward, was notorious for being the most preppy private all-girls school in the world, the reason I'd absolutely and venomously refused to go there.

Casper, on the other hand, wasn't just a grade-A school for spoiled rich boys. It was also the top school in the world for Animation Arts, with both an excellent Art and Computer Department. It was also well known for their sports, but I could care less about that.

"Just give her the dirt on what's happening at Casper so she can add it to her column. Jazz'll just refer to you as her sources."

"Sure thing," I said, willing to do almost anything for that Animation Class. Key word there; almost. "But how will I get there?"

"Jazz is parked at the old docks right now waiting for you."Matt said,"She's gonna drive you back to Amity. Don't pack any makeup or clothes, since I doubt you'll need any of it."

I frowned at the thought of leaving behind my beloved makeup and all the great skirts and corsets I owned, but then I felt my resolve firm as I remembered exactly what my parents were gonna do to me if I didn't sacrifice my beloved outfits.

"Gotcha."

"Jazz'll bring you straight to my house, but it's a three hour drive" Matt said,"Once you're at my place, we'll turn you into a guy and go over the rules before you head over tomorrow."

"That soon?" I felt her heartbeat quicken. _No second thoughts, Sam,_ I told myself firmly. _All or nothing. There's no point in doing something if you're just gonna chicken out in the end._

"Yeah, it leaves mom and dad with less time to track you," Matt said, "If we do things this way, it'll take them at least a month to sort everything out, if ever, and by then they'll know that pulling you out of school would get people asking questions, and since it would be such an embarrassment, they won't bother." I closed her eyes and steadied myself. All or nothing, huh…

"Alright." She said at last. "When should I be at the docks?"

"Around six." Matt answered,"I was gonna call you in about a half hour, but you just saved me the trouble of running up my phone bill."

"Thanks, Matt." I said, smiling. "You're a lifesaver,"

"Any time, Baby Sis,"Matt laughed. "By the way, before I forget to warn you, Jazz is gonna be a Child Psych major, and she lets everybody know it."

"Consider me warned," I laughed, "Thanks again, Matt, see you in a few hours." And with that, I hung up and began to call all my friends.

I didn't tell them about how I was running away, except my best friend Tina Foley, (with whom I had no secrets.) Even then, I didn't tell Tina where I was going. With my other friends, though, I ranted and raged against my parents, giving no sign of anything out of the ordinary. Which really wasn't that hard, to tell the truth.

I knew my parents well enough to know they'd be smart enough to hire a private eye who would check my calls on the phone bill to see if there was anyone who knew something.

While I trusted my friends with my life, I didn't want to put that weight on any of their shoulders. I only told Tina because I felt obligated, seeing as Tina had told me every deep, dark secret she had.

"Call me from a Payphone every week, okay Sam?" Tina said worriedly,"And give me some kind of e-mail address so I can keep in contact with you."

"I will," I promised. "I'll tell you everything I can. And don't worry, Tina, I'll be okay,"

"I don't doubt that," Tina said with a shaky laugh,"If anyone can make it on their own, it's you Sam," I felt my face flush as that. Did I really seem that strong to people? I didn't feel it. Even as I replaced the phone and started to pack, my hands were shaking like crazy.

I took my black backpack, toothbrush, toothpaste and several other essential items, hesitating before I included a picture of me and my friends. It might've been taking a chance, seeing as I'd have a roommate, but I felt I needed something truly familiar.

Disregarding Matt's advice, I included a few of my favorite outfits, and all my best make up and accessories. Just because I had to be a boy at school didn't mean I was required to be one all the time, right? I was sure there would be times I could go out as Samantha instead of Samuel. Man, that name would take getting used to…

After I finished loading all my art supplied into my bag (Which added about twenty pounds to it, by the way) I took out a piece of paper and pencil, frowning thoughtfully as I wondered how to word this.

_To Whoever finds this (Most likely Marie); _(That was the name of the maid that woke me up in the mornings.)

_First of all, the bad news is I'm not being kidnapped, so mom and dad can't tell all their friends sob stories about how they couldn't possibly imagine why anyone would want to hurt a member of our family. Not only am I leaving alone, of my own free will, but I'm also never coming back. That's right, mom, you're daughter-who-needs-to-act-more-like-a-proper-young-lady is now also a runaway._

_You're probably not gonna believe me when I say this, but I'm not a druggie, pregnant, getting married to some biker dude named Bob with a third grade reading level or even dropping out of school. My only real problem is that I'm sick. Sick of being treated like I'm not a real person, at any rate…_

_Don't worry, Dad, I didn't take any of your precious money with me, or even anything that expensive. Nor will I be calling you up in three weeks begging for cash. Believe me, I don't want anything to do with you guys anymore. I'm not writing this at gunpoint, either, as you will most likely insist to the private eye you're gonna pay to track me down._

_With my point made, this is your 'beloved' (Yeah, _**right**_.) daughter bidding you a fond adieu and wishing you the best in the rest of your miserable, money centered life._

_- Sam Manson._

And to think, I even managed to keep it from sounding too bitter. I'm almost proud of myself for that…

I wanted to put Samantha at the end for a minute, but decided against it. That would most definitely make my parents suspicious, since even they (who probably know less about me then the couple down the street that I've spoken to exactly three times,) know I despise my full first name.

Or maybe they didn't, since they had no problems calling me Sammy or Sammy-kins, which was really annoying.

Still, the note was in ink, so there was no point in rewriting it now. With that finalizing thought, I folded up the note, put it on top of my shredded pillows and opened my window. Climbing out to the roof, I used the vine fence as a ladder to bring me to the ground for the millionth and final time in my life, (Every time grateful I was both shorter and lighter then most girls my age.) and, after adjusting my hoodie to hide my hair and face, I took off for the docks, using the bushes as a cover.

FREEDOM!

As I said before, Matt is the voice of reason in my family, the only person I can really connect with who shared my family members and blood. As such, I really and truly adore and respect him. But despite those facts, the guy's gotta learn the meaning of the word 'understatement.'

Because he _definitely_ made one when referring to Jazz.

"-So then I told her that the only way she'd ever achieve an identity as a fully functioning individual is to realize that it's unrealistic and unfair of her to expect others to conform to her needs and wishes. But then she started insisting-!"

Karma must be punishing me for all the times I've insisted Matt was the biggest over-achiever in the world. Not that I'm Buddhist, I actually don't practice any particular religion (though I believe that Buddhism is more a philosophy then a Faith.) but I do borrow upon a lot of Buddhist ideals, including Karma and non-violence.

Still, getting back to the subject matter at hand, I can't believe Jazz can do all the things she does and still have the energy to make herself sound smart. It turned out that she's in not only Newspaper, but also Yearbook, Culinary Club, Track and Field, Swimming, Student Council (Vice President), Psychologists of Tomorrow (President), Foreign Language Club, (She spoke German, Italian, French, Spanish and Chinese. Even I have to admit that's a lot) Pep Squad, not to forget the Latin and Forensics Science Club.

And she still had time to volunteer in the local hospital every weekend…

"It's not as impressive as it sounds," She assured me, laughing at my expression after she finished listing off her extracurricular activities. "I'm just trying to make sure I get into a good college. So far it's a choice between Harvard, Brown and Yale, and I can't decide."

Suddenly, living up to the standards Matt set **doesn't** seem so impossible…

"So, are you in Wendy on a scholarship?" I asked Jazz, trying to turn the conversation to a lighter subject.

"No. My parents are inventors, so they get a fair amount of cash coming in, but they're not the ones who sent us here," Jazz got a strange look on her face as she spoke about her parents, and I got the feeling she had some home life issues as well. "They're in Transylvania right now, and Vlad is out caretaker."

"Vlad…?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't know him," Jazz said shortly. Okay, that was yet another touchy subject, then. "Anyways, he's the one paying for me and my brother to go to school."

"Oh," I said, not sure what else I could add. "Sorry if I offended you, it was just you seemed a lot nicer then any of the rich girls I met," Jazz laughed at that, some of her tension melting.

"Tell me about it," She giggled. "Paulina is _**horrible**_! And it doesn't help that every boy in Casper is in love with her."

"Paulina Sanchez?" I said distastefully, remembering the girl from all of my Father's big fancy parties. She'd thrown a fit once that the five thousand dollar dress her mother had bought her for her birthday was the wrong color. (She wanted bubble-gum pink, and the dress was just regular pink. Ugh, pink…) We've hated each other on sight for forever now, something not likely to change at any point in the near future.

"Don't like her either, huh?" Jazz chuckled, "Ah well, let's hope the male population wakes up and smells the over-applied makeup and shallow-ness sometime soon."

"I could care less," I sniffed. "Any man who drools over someone as superficial as _Paulina_ isn't worth the breath it'd take to talk to 'em," Jazz looked amused for some reason.

"Think so, huh?" she said, smiling knowingly. "Oh, this is your brother's apartment coming up. And there he is waiting for us…" I swallowed back the lump in my throat as a grabbed my backpack, put up the hood of my black hoodie and headed into the apartment.

Matt smiled when he saw us, and gave me a one armed hug, taking my bag off and carrying it for me.

"Hey, Jazz, hey Sam. Make it out okay?"

"Mom and Dad will absolutely freak in the morning." I responded, grinning.

"And we'll become official kidnappers," Jazz added, sounding amused despite the severity of the crime in question. "Come on, let's get you into Matt's place and fixed up." I nodded and followed the two older students, making sure to keep my gaze on the ground.

"So…how's Liz?" Matt asked Jazz casually.

"Alright, I suppose," Jazz said, a grin evident in her tone. "Though I suppose you'd know more if you asked her yourself…"

"No way," Matt said quickly. Jazz giggled.

"Who's Liz?" I couldn't help but ask Jazz as the distance between us and my brother's back became more drawn out.

"A friend of mine," Jazz answered, "She's a scholarship student, but really spunky. She and Matt are totally in love, but they won't acknowledge it. They got into a bit of a fight a while back and are both too stubborn to apologize." Matt had a crush? This was news. I wondered what else my brother wasn't telling me…

I eyed my brother suspiciously for a moment, before deciding that there couldn't possibly be anything else.

"Here we are," Matt said, opening the door to his apartment for us and holding it. My mother had drilled chivalry into his head at a young age, so Matt came off as pretty old fashion to a lot of people.

"Okay!" Jazz said, clapping her hands and turning to me as Matt closed the door behind himself, "Time for your makeover, Sam,"

"We should start with the uniform," Matt said, and I couldn't help but cringe at the horrible, dreaded word.

"Good idea," Jazz agreed, making my day worse by dragging out the uniform in question, which turned out to be a deep scarlet colored dress shirt with the Casper High emblem on it, and a dark wine and white tie. Accompanying this was black dress pants, dress shoes and dark wine socks.

"It's not as bad as the Wendy uniform," Jazz assured me, obviously guessing what I was thinking as I looked at the uniform. "And Matt showed me the one for the British school you were gonna be sent to. Now _those_ were some horrible uniforms…" Seeing that even a self-righteous girl like Jazz shuttered upon thinking of wearing those uniforms, I suddenly found myself even more happy I wasn't going.

"Well, might as well get this over with," I said, sighing as if going to my own execution, which I may very well be doing. At least, the execution of my unique individuality expressed through clothing…

"Hold on." Jazz said quickly, rummaging through her purse. I stared when she handed me a roll of medical gauze. "Here, use it for your chest. You can keep the roll; I have about ten others at home. Tell me when you start to run low…"

"Do I want to know why you carry gauze around in your purse?" I couldn't help it, I had to ask. Jazz just laughed nervously.

"They're for my brother," She answered, fidgeting, "He's… ah… very clumsy! Yea, he's always hurting himself…"

"Okay…" I said slowly, feeling there was something she was leaving out. (Thinking back, that should've been my first big clue) Still, why look a gift horse in the mouth? I took the gauze and headed for the bathroom, a little regretful that this would be my last few moments as a girl for a while.

I mean, sure I wasn't a girly girl, but I wasn't a tomboy, either.

I came out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later, finding it MUCH harder to breath with the gauze then I thought it would be. God, did my chest hurt now! Because of this I was already irritable, and my mood worsened when I saw Jazz with a pair of scissors in her hands.

"Oh, no," I snapped, covering my head, "You are NOT cutting my hair!" My hair was short enough as it was, any shorter and I'd _**never**_ get it back to a good length again. It was several inches above my shoulders, about chin length, and I'll keep it that way, thank you very much.

"Come on, Sam," Matt said, impatience clear in his voice. "No guy has hair that long at Casper!"

"My hair's short enough as it is, no one's cutting it!" I huffed. Matt and I bickered back and forward about it for a while, until Jazz lost patience.

"QUIET!" She yelled, silencing us. "Thank you. Sam, how 'bout a compromise? I'll trim about an inch off your hair and you can spike what's left in the morning so you look less feminine?"

"Sounds fair…" I admitted begrudgingly.

"Matt?" Jazz said, turning to my older brother. Matt grunted, yet it was still an obvious approval. Satisfied she'd worked everything out between us, Jazz set to work.

She was done pretty quickly, since she only took off an inch as promised. After that, I spiked my hair into small spikes with a little gel that Matt had provided and examined myself in the mirror.

I still looked kinda girly for a guy, but not enough so that it'd draw any real attention to me. Also, while I was short and skinny for a girl, I was even shorter and skinnier for a guy, seeming almost fragile compared to some of the better-looking guys I'd seen. Still, it was definitely passable, and it wasn't like I was there to meet girls, anyways…

"Great!" Jazz said enthusiastically. "You look perfect Sam! Just don't let anyone see you naked any there shouldn't be a problem."

"No worries there," Matt said, smirking, "Samuel has a rare physical disorder and can't take gym. Just keep a shirt on during the class trip to Miami."

"Thanks," I said, grateful to be getting out of Phys. Ed. Not a class I'd miss anytime soon…

"Get some rest, Sam," Matt said, with a 'you're welcome' smile fused with older sibling bossiness. "You've gotta be over there early tomorrow morning to finish registering. Jazz, you should get back to the Wendy Dorms before your roomie realizes how long you've been gone,"

"She won't," Jazz stated confidently. "She's staying at her boyfriend's apartment tonight. He's in college and knowing her she won't be back until sometime on Thursday night."

"Still," Matt said, "It's getting late and a girl like you shouldn't travel alone after dark. What if you get mugged or shot or kidnapped by a ghost?"

…_What was that last one again? _I thought, blinking at my brother in shock, but just Jazz bust out laughing.

"Shot or mugged around HERE?" She said, grinning, "By who? You honestly think Testlaff would let someone within ten feet of these schools with a gun? Not to mention all the police around here paid specifically to keep the rich people's idea of 'trash' out…" I noticed she didn't comment on the last one.

"And the ghosts?" Matt said, apparently noticing this, too. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"The way Phantom patrols this area, I feel sorry for any ghost who'd try it," She said firmly.

"Dunno why you're so confident about that spook…" Matt sighed.

"And I don't know why you are so suspicious of him." Jazz responded. "He's saved me from ghosts too many times to count before, Matt, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Ghosts don't have heartbeats," Matt reminded her, "And what makes you so sure?" At that, Jazz gave my brother an I-Know-Something-And-You-Don't smile.

"Some things, Matt," She answered, "Are obvious." And with a sweep of her long red hair, Jazz headed out the apartment, shutting the door behind her. Matt sighed again after she left.

"Stubborn basket case…" he muttered, "Let's see if she's still sticking up for him after that ghost attacks and kills her or something. Or her brother…"

"Ghosts?" I repeated, scoffing slightly, "You wanna tell me what that's about, Matt?" Matt sighed.

"Not really, since you won't believe me," Matt said simply, "But I probably have to, to give you fair warning… Sam, Casper High is haunted. Seriously haunted." I laughed, thinking my brother was joking around, but his face stayed grim and serious.

"You honestly expect me to believe that?" I asked incredulously. Matt smiled grimly.

"Not really, but you will after your first attack." He said. "Mine was about six months ago, and Jazz about three months earlier. She's actually been attacked a couple of times."

"And this Phantom is the ghost haunting the school?" I said doubtfully. There was no way he'd get me to fall for this, no way.

"One of," Matt confirmed, "He's the main one. The others, they come and go, Phantom's the only constant."

"What, no one's come to exorcize him yet?" I asked jokingly.

"Ten different priests, of four different religions." Matt answered, "None of which were successful. Then we've also had ghost hunters coming in almost all the time, and heading off with their tails between their legs."

"Sounds like one bad ghost," I said, wincing. "Not that I believe you…"

"You won't until you meet him, no one does," Matt said, "Why don't you think I mentioned this at home?"

"This is a new kid joke, isn't it?" I asked, not willing to believe such a thing could actually exist in such a prestigious school. Matt sighed.

"Bed," he ordered. "I'll just wait till your next chat with Jazz to give you an I-told-you-so."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, confident he was just messing with me.

Stupid, naïve me…

"-remember you're not allowed out of the Dorms after ten, get caught and your ass is Lancers'. Breakfast is from 4 to 6, lunch is at 11and ends at 1 thirty and dinner is from 7 to 8. Miss it and you're screwed. You're living in a two-bedroom apartment with a bathroom, living room, and roommate, and no one is allowed to stay the night. Classes start at seven, and first class is homeroom. Then your first three hours, lunch and finish classes at 2. Any questions?"

"No," I answered, trying to remember all of this and memorize my scheduled and room number.

We'd just spend two hours waiting in line for my scheduled, and then another two hours touring the school a bit. Now we were heading up to the dormitory I'd call home for the next year so I could put my stuff away before heading down for lunch. Matt stopped as we got to the iron wrought gate that read _Dormitory 13_ in big, curly lettering.

"Sorry, I can't take you any further," He said with a wry smile, "Lancer's rules. You're on your own from here on out,"

"No problem," I said, holding my chin his and ignoring the pounding of my heart. "I can take care of myself. Better then mom and dad did, anyways…." Matt chuckled and looked as his he would've ruffled my hair is he wasn't afraid the gelled spikes would impale him.

"You do that, Sam," He said, grinning, "I'm in Dorm 4 if you need anything…only if it's an emergency. See you around… cuz," That was part of my cover. I was Matt's cousin from New York, the daughter of my crazy Aunt Gretchen and her husband Charlie.

They were a very rich, very secluded couple, with no phones or computers. Aunt Gretchen even went as far as to burn every letter she got without opening them. This way no one would be suspicious about my grades suddenly showing up in their mailbox.

I shook my head as if to dispel these thoughts, and, a determined glare set on the gloomy looking apartment, I started up the cobblestone path, my backpack (black, of course,) bouncing against me as I walked.

I was happy to see ivy and flora climbing up the side of the building before I entered. It gave it a much homier feel _and _improved the appearance of the apartment, not to mention helping the environment. I also noticed that there was no litter, a good sign, even if it was only the first day of the new school year.

The halls of the apartment were packed with boys who greeting old friends and chatting with new roommates. Still, there was enough room in the hall to get around them easy, especially since I only had one backpack to my name, something some kids noticed with a sneer, apparently thinking I was poor.

If only they knew…

Other then that, though, the boys didn't so much as glance at me. Feeling as though I'd passed some sort of test, I made my way to floor six, room 073. There, I saw my roommate had managed to beat me to the room, as a wooden plaque with gold lettering proclaiming _D. Fenton _was already in the first slot for the door. That probably meant I had the smaller room, not that I cared.

After putting my own plaque in place (_S. Manson._) beside his, I slid my key into the lock and opened the door, stepping into a very nice living room. Apparently, my roommate was an artist, too, since some of his pieces were on top of the TV, which was on and droning out some news broadcast. (A little weird for a fifteen-year-old boy to watch the news, but I wasn't complaining. At least it wasn't porn…)

Unable to resist, I dropped my backpack to the floor and began leafing through his work. It was a lot of different stuff. Some real life drawings, some more comical, and some clearly completely made up. (What was that blue guy with the speech bubble screaming_ 'BEWARE!' _anyways, a plumber?)

But one thing I noticed right away was that he was good. I was curious about some of the real life drawings. I didn't know most of the people he'd drawn but he had a lot of Paulina (I made a face every time I saw this one come up again, though they were just as good as the others) and, surprisingly, Jazz.

I couldn't help but giggle at the one of Jazz curled up asleep on a couch with a bear that was dressed up like Albert Einstein, with writing that looked a little too neat for a boy at the top reading _Jazz & Bearbert, 7/20/04_. I was impressed that he took the time to date his work. It seemed very professional for a high school kid, and my friends certainly teased me when I did it.

I felt some of my worry ebb away at some of the pictures as it became clearer that my roomie had a sense of humor and a creative flair. I hadn't even met him and I could already tell we'd get along just fine. And with an ally in my roommate, what else was there to worry about? Just then I felt a wave of heat and moisture and heard a door shut behind someone. Clearly not making the connection I should've, I looked up.

Standing in front of me, freshly bathed, was my roommate in nothing but a towel. The most vivid pair of blue eyes I'd ever seen (and set into an absolutely gorgeous face, too) flashed in surprise at seeing me standing there, and the boy stopped in his tracks. His inky black hair was a little ruffled from a towel drying, and a few stubborn little droplets still clung to it.

As I said before, he was wearing a towel and _only_ a towel. A well built but not ape-like upper torso still glistening from his shower attracted my gaze before anything was said, and I couldn't stop my face from heating up. I'd never had a boyfriend before, and here an almost naked hottie stood in front of me like nothing was wrong.

Which it probably wasn't in his world, since technically I'm just another guy to him.

"Oh, you must be my roommate," He said in a pleasant tone, "Sorry, didn't hear you come in. I'm Danny. Danny Fenton."

And, just like that, things became MUCH more complicated. 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I'm not a girl who basis anything on looks. I firmly believe that everyone has their own unique beauty, and not always physical. Actually, I despise girls like Paulina who wouldn't even think of talking to the boy with an acne problem even though he has a good sense of humor. Ditto for the girl who might be a little overweight, but can come up with some of the most kick-ass comebacks known to mankind.

But is there any girl out there who can honestly say that they wouldn't drool if a good-looking guy came into their room almost naked? Anyone? Not to say I was drooling…

Okay, maybe a little after my mind blanked for a second, but that's all, I swear!

"Hey, you okay?" Danny asked me, concerned. "You look a little red…" Gee, wonder why?

"Fine," I squeaked out in an octave that was high even for a girl. Clearing my throat I repeated in a much deeper voice. "Fine. Just a little head rush from the trip. Jetlag and all…"

"Don't like planes, huh?" Danny said sympathetically. We stood in silence for a few minutes before I realized he was waiting for my name. I winced, feeling like a total idiot.

"Uh, I'm Samuel." I said, moving to shake his hand, wincing at me 'full first name'. "Samuel Manson. Sam, _please_." I drew out the word.

"Nice to meet you." Danny said, meeting my handshake with his own firm grasp. His hands felt oddly cold for someone who just got out of a hot shower. "You like art?" I blinked and saw him nod to the pieces I'd been thumbing through.

"Oh!" I said. "Yeah, I came here to get into animation,"

"Really?" Danny seemed ecstatic with this. "Cool! I'm taking more graphic arts myself. Well, in addition to all those stupid business classes," Danny added the last part so bitterly, I couldn't help but wince.

"Controlling father?" I guessed. I could sympathize…

"Worst," He assured me, "Anyways, is this your first year at CHS?"

"Yeah," I answered, casually. "I went to a different private high before."

"Really?" Danny asked, cocking his head, "I've been in the Casper district for forever…" Then, Danny glanced at the clock and cursed loudly, dashing into the room I assumed was his.

"Uhhhhh… Danny?" I frowned in concern as I heard drawers thrown opened and slammed shut in a hasted search for what I could only assume was clothing.

"Hang on, Sam, I got five minutes to meet Tuck in the Dining Hall before he orders for me!" I blinked. This was bad how, exactly? "You wanna come with? Tucker's not into art, but something tells me you'll like him." I blinked again. Why did that name sound familiar to me…?

"Sure," I answered, figuring I'd find out if I tagged along. I had nothing better to do, after all, and I was starving.

"Great," Danny said, coming out of his room as he was pulling his shirt on (more blushing on my part here. With how easily distracted Danny seemed to get, something told me I was gonna be used to the sight of him shirtless before long.) "We'd better hurry, though. When it comes to food, Tucker is merciless."

…What the heck was that supposed to mean?

I got no time to wonder, however, as Danny pushed me out the door, grabbing his keys and shutting it behind us. Doors in the dorms locked automatically and could only be opened with keys given to the room occupants, the Dorm Manager (A frumpy guy named Folupa, who was also the science teacher.) and the Headmaster, Lancer.

"No time for the elevator?" I asked as Danny headed towards the stairs.

"Too slow." Danny replied. "Besides, exercise is supposed to be good for you…"

"Speak for yourself…" I muttered. Thinking back to the show I was treated to in the room, I realized Danny must've gotten some kind of exercise regularly. Clearly he wasn't a football player, as his neck wasn't of tree trunk quality. Swimmer, maybe? "So what kind of guy is this Tucker, anyways?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" He told me, rolling his eyes.

"…Huh?"

I got no reply from my roomie on the way to the Lunch Hall, discounting a little chuckle and an impish smile. It turned out there was no need to rush, though. Danny and I had beaten the mysterious Tucker to the Dining Hall, which was easily as long as the Manson Mansion.

The foods offered here were different from public schools, or even the less renowned private school I'd attended before this. Still, I noticed Danny took the simplest food on the menu (Pasta. The sauce had meat in it, though, so I passed and settled on a salad with Italian dressing.) and felt a little more comfortable after that for some reason.

"No caviar?" I teased him. Danny made a face.

"Pass on the fish eggs," He said dryly. Then he raised his eyebrow at my selection. "No _food_?"

"Vegetarian, thank you very much," I said simply as we sat. Danny seemed a little surprised.

"Really? That explains why you're so small… no offence."

"None taken," I dug into my salad. Danny began laughing to himself, shaking his head regretfully.

"You know, maybe I was wrong to think you and Tuck could get along well…" He drawled out, amused.

"Really?" I blinked. "Why?"

"Danny!" frowning, I turned to see who my roommate was now grinning at over my shoulder.

And froze, mortified beyond belief.

The boy himself seemed okay enough, a little shorter then Danny with dark mocha colored skin and green eyes hidden behind thick, round glasses. His clothes were a little rumpled, and looked like they may be second hand, or at least older then the fresh new uniforms Danny and I wore. I figured this meant he was a scholarship kid, which moved Danny even higher up in my respect. (most rich kids don't hang out with 'poor trash,')

The thing that filled my stomach with the dreaded urge to hurl was his plate.

He had literally piled every meat entrée on the menu onto his platter. Steak, Chicken, Roast beef, you name it, it was there. Stacked at least three feet high. He would've had to have killed an entire farm and then some for that kind of meal.

"I see you're still alive and in one piece," The boy grinned, sitting down. "So to speak, anyways. Who's this?"

"It wasn't that hard to take care of, Tuck, just Technus. This is Samuel, my new roommate. Sam, this is Tucker, my best friend since elementary school."

"Pleasure, my dear amigo!" Tucker said, shaking my hand vigorously. "And if you ever have any problem with working the electronics in this joint, feel free to call on me. I'm willing to help no matter what! For a small fee, of course,"

"Of course," Danny repeated with a snort, amused.

"What? A guy's gotta eat, you know!" Tucker said defensively. Then he raised an eyebrow at me. "Speaking of which, where the heck is your food? You planning on feeding your pet rabbit or something?"

"He's a vegetarian." Danny spoke up for me. Tucker looked as horrified as I had upon seeing his plate.

"No meat?" He wailed, "Man, how do you live?"

"A lot healthier then you do, that's for sure," I responded, shuttering after one more glance at his plate. God, even Dad wasn't that bad…

"Hey, I need the energy," Tucker said defensively, "I was woken up at the most insane hour this morning to be drilled by my aunt. My cousin's friend ran away and now the entire upper-class society knows it. Or those closely connected with them, at any rate." My fork stopped on its course to my mouth halfway there.

"Really?" Danny entered the conversation with a frown. "Wow, when did she run off?"

"Last night, apparently."

"What's your cousin's name?" I asked.

"Tina Foley," Tucker responded, frowning in a puzzled sort of way. "Why?"

"Just curious." I answered quickly with a tiny shrug, hoping to look off-hand. I knew the name Tucker sounded familiar! So this was the cousin Tina complained about? Other then the meat thing, he didn't seem that weird to me…

"Anyways, between that and the fact that I spent all last night hanging from the bell tower, I didn't get any sleep."

…Okay, so I spoke too soon.

"Why did you spend all night in the bell tower?" I asked, frowning. "_How_ did you get in the bell tower?" The bell tower, Matt had told me, was _**way**_ off limits to students and staff, and locked at all times with loads of heavy duty security stuff. How the heck did Tucker get into a place like that?

"No reason," Danny and Tucker answered quickly in union. They shared a look, and I got the distinct impression I was being left out of some secret. Worse part was, though, I couldn't even complain since I was keeping secrets from them, too. And I highly doubted any of them were girls sneaking into an all-boys school.

"So, Sam, where you from?" Tucker asked, literally digging into his food. I shuttered.

"New York," I answered shortly. Danny seemed to read my mind, as he gave me another one of those playful grins and leaned close so Tucker wouldn't catch what he wanted to say to me.

"Yeah, it scares me, too, and I'm not even a vegetarian." He said knowingly. I bit my lip to keep from giggling at the look that passed his face as he glanced at his best friend.

"You gotta girl back in New York?" Tucker asked me, not looking up.

"No," I said, shortly. This wasn't a subject I wanted to get into…

"Join the club." Danny said in dry humor, "Tuck and I are single, too."

"Really?" _**Halleluiah!**_ Not that I was interested or anything, but it would've been awkward if Danny's girlfriend ever paid a visit to the room and I was there. Plus guy might not be able to tell, but a fellow girl would notice things if she stayed around too long. Yeah, that's it…

"Yep." Tucker said sadly. Was it just me or did he look a bit depressed at the thought? "Well, technically Valerie is my sort-of girlfriend, but Danny doesn't even have that to fall back on. Course, he'd have girls swarming all over him if he just told them he was the heir to- _**OW!**_" I raised an eyebrow as Tucker nursed a knee, Danny scowling pointedly at him.

"It's nothing." He growled, "Right, Tuck?" He put enough emphasis on that to tell me it wasn't 'nothing.' And it was clearly something he didn't like talking about.

"Yeah…" Tucker said, shifting in his seat, "Nothing. Nothing at all… So, you like sports, Sam?"

"No," I answered instantly.

"Good," Tucker nodded his approval. "Naturally, you will be accompanying me and Danny to the next football game."

"I just said I didn't like sports." I repeated a little slower, in case Tucker had missed it the first time. Maybe he had hearing problems?

"Neither do we," Tucker said. "Well, I don't, and neither of us like football. Still, Casper High football games means that all the hot Wendy Girls are gonna be there. And that Danny's sister is gonna fuss over him again, which is always fun to watch," Tucker snickered and Danny rolled his eyes.

"You've got a sister in Wendy?" I asked, amused.

"Yeah," He grumbled. "And she thinks I'm gonna spontaneously combust every time I'm out of her sight for more then ten minutes." I grinned at that.

"You got any siblings?" Tucker asked absently.

"Naw," I said. "Just some cousins."

"Lucky," Tucker made a face, "I've got two older siblings, one younger one and about a gazillion cousins."

"Last I checked, gazillion wasn't a number," I said, giving him a sly smile. I knew he wasn't far from the truth, though. I'd seen portraits of the Foley Family on Tina's walls, and knew that they were in fact a large, tight-knit family. Just like I knew it was Tina's family's turn to host Thanksgiving this year.

In a lot of ways, I was jealous of Tina's family. Sure, they weren't well-off financially (Tucker and Tina were the only ones going to private schools, both on scholarships,) But they were all incredibly close.

She'd even told me once that her entire family, as in aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents took time off work and came down to celebrate with her when she first got published when she was 13, despite the fact that it was just a poem in a book for students poets in Elementary through High School.

This had made me do a lot of thinking about my own family at the time, considering I felt lucky if they remembered to spell my name right when they sent me a postcard from their vacationing resort in Maui when my birthday rolled around. And that was my _**parents**_. Yea, I know!

"So, what are you taking here, Tucker?" I asked, curious. "Danny already said you aren't into art,"

"Computers," Tucker answered, "I already know how to build them-"

"-Blindfolded and with one hand tied behind his back in under fifteen minutes-" Danny added.

"-So now I'm basically working on designing new software and improving some of the old stuff,"

"Tuck's top of his Computer class," Danny said, wryly, "And he's taking business classes, too. He wants to make his own company when he gets out of college."

"Pays better then the superhero gig," Tucker grinned.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow at Tucker. What comic book was he living in?

"Nothing!" Danny said again. This time, the glare he shot at Tucker was pretty angry, and Tucker flinched guiltily. "So anyways, do you wanna meet Mr. Marchez, Sam?" It was a distraction tact, and a rather bad one at that, but I decided to let it slide.

"Who's Mr. Marchez?" I asked instead. Danny smirked and Tucker shuttered slightly.

"You're gonna be sorry you asked." The tech-geek promised me, looking severe. Danny laughed, but it sounded MUCH darker then before, sending chills of delight (not like that, you pervs! Don't gimme that look, I am NOT that kinda girl! The fact that I'm not _technically_ a girl right now aside.) down my spine.

This should be interesting…

I gaped.

That's all I could think to do in this current situation, truthfully. Because currently engulfing my cute, blue eyed roommate in a friendly bear hug was a person Danny told me was a teacher, but didn't look anything like the teachers I'd met, especially in private schools.

He was very tall for one, 7'2 if I had to wager a guess, and he wore what looked like dark green cotton house slippers. His dark brown hair with flecks of gray was tangled and messy, a pretty long, looking as if it hadn't been combed since he himself was in high school as a student, (maybe longer) and a rugged beard of the same colors adorned his face. He was skinny, almost skeletal, and he had a wide, white smile.

He wore beige jeans about ten sizes too big, buckled up with a brown belt. Oddest of all was the fact that he was wearing a battered, oversized black hoodie, despite the fact that it was uncomfortably warm for August. (I was hot myself, and I was wearing a more summery version of our uniforms, with shorter sleeves, lighter pants and no tie.) I had to bite back giggle, though, when I noticed said hoodie proclaimed: _'You _think_ I'm insane. I _know_ you're a prick.'_

"Dan, m'boy!" the teacher said, grinning down at said boy. He sort of reminded me of a severely underfed lumberjack, with his messy, rugged appearance. "Here I was starting to think you forgot this old man, Dan!"

"Forget you?" Danny said, laughing, "That's pretty much impossible for someone who's spent ten minutes with ya, teach!" Looking at the older man, I didn't doubt that for a second.

"Ah, but why be a forgettable people when we have potential to be remembered for all eternity?" Mr. Marchez asked with a raised eyebrow. "When people will know you forever in some way, shape or form; that, my boy, is when you've truly accomplished something great!" He emphasized this with an elaborate hand gesture, making Danny shake his head.

"Oh, Mr. Marchez? This is my new roomie, Sam Manson. He's gonna be in some of your classes this year. Sam, this is Mr. Marchez, the Art director. He teaches all the art classes." Mr. Marchez turned to me, and looked me straight in the eye. His smile disappeared, and he suddenly looked very intimidating, making me nervous.

"Oh?" He said after a lapse of silence, frowning. "He _does_, does he? How old are you?"

"Fifteen." I answered. "Sixteen as of December 18th,"

"What's your favorite color?" Eh?

"…Black, I guess…" Mr. Marchez snorted.

"Black ain't one color, kid, it's _every_ color. Dunno why loner kids dress in black nowadays. It's ironic if ya think about it. Black can't exists on it's own, and can only be created if all the other colors, red, blue, yellow, green, yadda ya, all come together, all equal." I blinked. In a crazy, messed up way, that almost made sense… "Try again,"

"Well… I have always liked blue, too," I said, a little wary now.

"You smoke?" …_**What?**_

"No!" I bristled, a little offended. Did he honestly think I'd take up something so vile? Just because I looked like an outcast didn't make me a pothead!

"Mind if I smoke?"

"Yeah," I answered truthfully. Teacher or not, smoking was a disgusting habit.

"Which way d'ya mind?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to smoke or not?"

"I don't," I told him, making a small face.

"Good, I hate smoking. Bad for the lungs." …What the hell was _WITH_ this guy? I shot Danny a look, to find him leaning against the wall, shaking with silent laugher. "You like dragons?"

"What?"

"Dragons. Do you like 'em or not?"

"I guess…"

"What kind?" Frowning for a moment, I tried to recall everything I knew about the winged fire breathing lizards.

"The ones in Europe, I guess," I said hesitantly. "The big green or red ones,"

"_Draco occidentalis magnus_," Mr. Marchez said, "One of the biggest dragons out there. Come in black and gold, too." Mr. Marchez's wide, friendly grin came back, and he clapped me on the shoulder so hard that my knees buckled. "Welcome aboard, kiddo!"

"That was only nine questions, Mr. Marchez," Danny told him, amused.

"Hmph! Head in the game, my boy! It was ten questions, ten! Kiddo here never answered number one, Whether or not he really wanted in,"

"I do," I said, though I was a little confused about just what the hell was going on.

"Course you do," Mr. Marchez snorted, looking at me like _I_ was the crazy one, "That much was obvious point blank, Kiddo," I looked at Danny helplessly, but he just shrugged and shook his head. Apparently, even he hadn't known what that one was about.

"Any reason you played twenty one questions with me?" I asked, leaning against a wall. That smile he'd given seemed to give me, but Mr. Marchez had a way of getting you to follow orders you permission to relax. It was strange, usually I didn't care what people told me didn't even realize you were following, without saying a word.

"Ten questions," Mr. Marchez corrected, looking insulted.

"Mr. Marchez claims he can figure out everything important about a student just by asking them ten questions," Danny explained to me helpfully. "Doesn't use the same questions all the time, either,"

"So far Dan's the only kid I haven't been able to completely figure out," Mr. Marchez boasted, ruffling Danny's already messy hair.

"What about me?" I challenged.

"I've got you, alright," Mr. Marchez chuckled.

"Oh?" I frowned. There was no way he could've known who I was from ten random questions, _no way_…

"You're a proud kid, doesn't like to be wrong and usually isn't. You're responsible, take care of yourself and pretty much everyone else you get your hands on. You like things bizarre and love the eccentric, and you've got loads of motivation. You seem pretty passive, but you're really a fighter at heart especially when no one else is gonna stand up for a cause you believe in. Don't give a damn about rules if they stand in the way of doing what's right, or what you truly want. Still, good kid at heart, and bound to be one hell of an artist."

I couldn't think of anything to say to respond to the chilling accuracy of Mr. Marchez's description of me. Hell, I couldn't think after that_ period_. Apparently, the look on my face was something I'd really rather not show people in public, since Danny started laughing hysterically.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked, blushing. Mr. Marchez snorted.

"I may be over the hill, kid, but I ain't that old yet. Least not where it counts. I know people, and I especially know kids your age. Loads more people can do what I do, if they'd take their heads out of their own asses long enough to give a damn," I snorted back a laugh. Mr. Marchez was MUCH more crude then the refined teachers you usually saw in places like Casper. In spite of that, though, I really liked him. His attitude, his way of speaking, his clothes… it was all so refreshing.

"Usually you list off more, Mr. Marchez," Danny piped up, cocking his head slightly.

"Don't wanna overstep any boundaries," Mr. Marchez shrugged. "Well, gotta get ready for class tomorrow. You kids do, too, and don't tell me you already got everything, Dan, I know you too well." I wondered what that was supposed to mean, since Danny didn't seem like the severely irresponsible type to me.

But I wonder what he meant when he said he didn't want to overstep boundaries?...

"Actually, I do," Danny grinned, his eyes shinning. "My sister took care of it when I was busy," Mr. Marchez shook his head.

"One of these days, kid…" He said warningly. Danny just laughed.

"We'll see," He responded.

"Gulliver's Travels, Mr. Fenton!" Danny and I jumped and whirled around to face the voice that assaulted us from behind.

Standing there was an overweight balding man frowning severely at my new roommate.

He was pretty much the complete opposite of Mr. Marchez. Where Mr. Marchez was skinny, he was overweight, with a shiny baldhead in place of Mr. Marchez's hairy mess. And instead of the art teacher's comfortable (if puzzling) clothes, he wore nice black slacks and a white dress shirt with a black tie.

"This area is off limits, Mr. Fenton," The newcomer said seriously, glaring at my roomie a little. "I was hoping you would at least last the first week without stomping all over the rules." Wait, what? Danny was a rule breaker? Who the heck saw that one coming? I cast Danny a glance.

"Loosen up, Earl," Mr. Marchez said, "I invited him here. Sam, too." The man (who I assumed was a teacher,) turned his attention to me, his eyes narrowing slightly, glare becoming more pronounced.

"Yes, I've read your records, Mr. Manson," He said, his tone not swaying. "I hope you know that the fact that you are excused from your physical education credit will not give you any reason to slack in your academic classes."

"Yes, sir," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"C'mon, Sam, I'll show you where to get books," Danny said pulling me by the arm. I was about to protest (I'd already gotten my books that morning) But Danny gave me a look that made me close my mouth.

"Kiddo!" Already that used to the nickname, I turned to face Mr. Marchez again. "You take care of him, alright? God knows someone needs ta give him a swift kick in the ass now and then,"

"Mr. Marchez!" the other teacher said in a clipped, insulted voice, "After fifteen years of teaching, I'd hope that you'd realize that is NOT the kind of language used at Casper!" While the other man continued to lecture him, Mr. Marchez shot Danny a grin over his shoulder, which Danny returned eagerly before we continued away.

"What an asshole!" I exclaimed as soon as we were a safe distance. Danny laughed.

"That was Mr. Lancer, the Headmaster," Danny explained, a grin playing on his face. "He really plays everything by the rules,"

"So I gathered," I said dryly, giving him a pointed look. To my delight, Danny blushed, his playful grin disappearing.

"Ah, I've been late to class a few times," He explained sheepishly. "And a few other things…"

"Other things?" I repeated, curious.

"Well, one time I was caught in the counseling office right after someone had vandalized it, and Lancer thought it was me," Danny said.

"Did you?"

"No!" Danny said hastily. Then he laughed nervously, "Hey, you know what? Maybe we should go see Spook!" I got the distinct feeling that there was more to this troublemaking thing that he wasn't telling me, but shrugged it off. Benefit of the doubt, right?

Besides, Danny seemed like a bad enough liar that I'd eventually figure it out for myself…

"Who's Spook? Another one of Casper High's infamous ghosts?" Danny looked startled.

"So, you've already heard about the ghost thing?"

"Yeah." I roll my eyes. "My cousin was going on and on about it." Well, 'on and on' was exaggerating a bit, seeing as Matt (posing as my cousin, remember?) had only really mentioned it once. "Talk about superstitious nonsense…"

"Five bucks says you change your mind before the end of the day." Danny said dryly. I smirked.

"So little confidence in my will?" I teased. "Even Matt gave me longer then that!"

"Yeah well he didn't know you'd be my roommate…" Danny muttered dryly.

"Excuse me?" Did I just hear him wrong? What did he mean by that?

"Nothing," Yeah, I thought not. I frowned in concern When Danny gave a sharp gasp and shivered, although it was, as I mentioned before, pretty damn warm out.

"Danny? Are you okay?" I asked uncertainly.

"Actually, no," Danny said quickly, his eyes darting around. "I'll be right back," And, before I could protest, Danny rushed off into the boys' bathroom, all but slamming the door behind him.

I cringed slightly, and took a step back, knowing that Danny would never know how effective such a tactic was for getting rid of me. Cover or not, I would NEVER venture into that room without _really_ good incentive.

I didn't have time to dwell on this, though, as a mini earthquake shook the ground from behind me. Stiffening at the very angry growls coming from whatever had make the earthquake, I slowly turned to come face to face with (ironically) a dragon.

It was so big it barely fit in the hallway. And yet the only thing more eerie then the fact that there was a big, pale blue dragon in my school was the fact that it was also glowing, and slightly translucent.

_Maybe this is a prank the Special effects club plays on new kids…_ I thought hopefully.

"WANT BALL!" The dragon roared, shooting green jets of flame I only just managed to dodge. My arms went to cover my face protectively, and ended up pretty scorched. Nothing serious, but I'd definitely feel it the rest of the week.

A chill ran through me as I looked up from the injury and saw the burn marks of the wall behind where I'd been standing. The wall had been pretty much completely blown away, and I felt sick at the thought of what would've happened if I hadn't dived away like that.

_Okay, maybe not._ I grimaced as the dragon's head snaked around, its eyes narrowing on me. I flattened myself against the wall the best I could, knowing there was no escape this time. Closing my eyes, I prepared for a painful, fiery death…

"Don't think so, Cranky!" A voice that had a strange, hollow echo called out, accompanied by a loud crashing noise. Taking a chance, I peeked.

Floating in front of me was a boy with silvery white hair and a black jumpsuit, his back turned to me.

What the…?

"No Ghost is killing students on my watch, pal!" my protector exclaimed, diving for the dragon. I was left dumbfounded, staring at the wall they'd both literally disappeared though.

_What_

_**The**_

_**HELL?**_


	3. Chapter 3

"-And then they both went right through the wall!" I finished, still a little shaken. Mr. Lancer frowned then sighed.

"Silver hair, you say?" He questioned, from deepening a little. "Did he have iridescent green eyes, too, Mr. Manson?"

"Dunno, I never saw his face," I said honestly. Actually, I was surprised the teacher hadn't called up the mental ward yet. That, I suppose, was what convinced me that this ghost stuff wasn't all just urban myths to scare new kids. Not that I had been scared. Drowning, fires, being in car crashes….now those things scare me.

Having a ghost nearly kill you? That was downright terrifying.

Bigger then my fear, though, was my curiosity. After all, ghosts were supposed to be things of myth and stories, and the fact that they could actually exist got a person thinking. I wanted to know more about what was going on even more then I wanted to just curl up under my bed and burst into tears like a baby. But no way was that happening. So the first option would have to be the one we went with….

My attention was back on the Headmaster as he sighed roughly, suddenly looking very tired.

"And here I hoped he was finally gone for good," Mr. Lancer murmured, seeming distracted. "Not a sign of him all summer, and now two ghosts attack before the school year even officially started…" Two? I wanted to ask him about the second attack, but before I could Mr. Lancer gave me a concerned frown, looking me straight in the eyes. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No," I answered frankly. "Just a little freaked out," Mr. Lancer smiled sympathetically.

"Seeing ghosts will do that to you," He said knowledgably with a solemn nod. "The first is the worst one, though. After that, it tends to get less frightening. And the fact that you're roommates with Mr. Fenton will probably help…"

"What's Danny got to do with anything?" I asked, confused. Danny had said something those lines too, now that I think about it…

"His parents were ghost hunters, which makes him a prime target for attacks," Mr. Lancer explained. "He's usually attacked at least three or four times a week. Indeed, the fact that you were with him only seconds before the monster assaulted you makes me wonder if the attack was originally meant for him. If you want, I can see to it that you're moved. Mr. Fenton had a room all to his own most of last year, and I'm sure he'll understand-"

"No!" I said a little too quickly. Then, I hastily added, trying to think fast. "I mean, how cowardly would that be? Running and hiding from a bunch of ghost? HA!" I laughed nervously, trying to hide a blush.

The fact remained, though, that the Grim Reaper himself could attack me, and I still wouldn't want to give up having a room with Danny Fenton.

"I doubt most students here would agree with you there, Mr. Manson," Mr. Lancer said dryly, with a small sigh. "By it's your decision, I suppose. Just remember my door is open if you change your mind, though it would help it you did so quickly, seeing as after November, your room is permanent. Now it you'll excuse me, I have to find someone to clean those scorch marks. Please return to your room, Mr. Manson, it's already getting fairly late into the evening."

I didn't need to be told twice, diving out of the office as fast as I could. Mr. Lancer was a little nicer then my first impression of him, but that still didn't make him someone I was comfortable around. It took me a while to find my room, since I still wasn't familiar with Casper High yet, but once I did find it, I had a new appreciation for the safety it offered me.

After what Mr. Lancer said, I was half expecting to find a ghost ready to attack me as soon as I entered the room. There wasn't, of course. Nor was there any trace of Danny, who had disappeared right before the ghosts attacked me and hadn't been seen or heard from since.

Remembering what Mr. Lancer told me, I was a little worried for a second that he'd been attacked after me, but when I saw all of his drawings had been moved from the TV to a nice looking black portfolio he'd been in too much of a hurry to even shut. He'd turned the TV off, though, which was another plus for him (saved some electricity.) and also even took the time to tape a message to the TV screen.

His writing was a little more scrawl here then it had been on his artwork, suggesting he was indeed rushed, but I found the fact that he took the time to write instead of leaving me wondering strangely touching.

'_Sam-_

_Think I got sick after lunch today, so I went to the_

_Infirmary. Dunno how long I'll be there, but don't_

_worry if I come in late._

_-Danny'_

"Sick, huh…?" I frowned. Now that I thought about it, he did look a little pale before he took off for the bathroom. I just hoped it wasn't something serious.

Sighing, I tossed the note and flopped down on the couch. I considered watching TV for a second, and then decided not to. I doubted any of the shows I liked were on, and was not in the mood for any movies.

I paced around the house a bit, trying to think of something to do when I caught sight of Danny's computer.

Normally, I wouldn't think of touching someone else's property, but I couldn't help but notice a new version of DOOMED was there, and I found the urge too great to resist.

Tina and I played DOOMED all the time back home, and I had been proclaimed the _Great Goddess and Indisputable Queen of DOOMED_. I was untouchable, with enough weapons and cheats to beat anyone and anything. Heh. It was awesome.

So, I logged in.

_Username;_ **Chaos**

_Password; _

_E-mail;_ thing I saw was that Tina, who was on my Friend's List, was on, too. Along with Victor, Megan and Lisa. All of them immediately pounced on me as I blasted some newbies that tried to take me out.

**GerbilGal-** _Sammy? Is that you?_

Flinch on my part here. Didn't Lisa ever learn?

**Chaos-** _Haven't I told you not to call me that?_

Pause to blast away at some ninjas that tried to attack me from behind.

**VictorE-** _Yep, that's Sam alright…_

**Iycee-** _Thank you for that deduction, Detective Vic. You okay, Sam? You're parents are flipping._

I grinned, happy to know they were getting their just desserts as I took the first Silver Key to the Apocalypse from where it was hanging from a tree.

**Chaos-** _Fine, Tina. I'm just settling into my new home._

**Gem-** _Where are you?_

**Iycee-** _That doesn't matter, Megan, as long as she's safe. So? Do you like your new freedom so far?_

**Chaos-** _Well… things are a little different then I thought they'd be here…_

**VictorE-** _Different? How different?_

_Well, I was attacked by an undead dragon for one. _I thought dryly as I fought some guy who actually seemed like he might be sort of a challenge. (beat him in like, five seconds flat) Instead of telling Victor this, though, I decided to take a different approach.

**Chaos-** _Well, I've met this guy…_

…

**Chaos-** _Guys?_

…

**Chaos-** _Hello?_

…

**Chaos-** _Okay, this isn't funny guys!_

I scowled at the computer screen as it loaded the next level. I mean, sure I didn't have a booming social life but come on!

**GerbilGal-** _REALLY? o.O That's sooooo great, Sammy, I'm so proud of you! When's the wedding? Am I invited?_

My jaw dropped when I read that. Lisa was a really sweet girl, and extremely entertaining in the fact that she was about as random as they come, but unfortunately she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, and was also horribly naïve. Which was why I completely lost my balance after reading that, and ended up crashing over on the ground.

I laid there for a second taking deep breaths before I got up again, straightening the nice, comfy black computer chair and reading the conversation that'd taken place during my bout with shock.

**Iycee-** _I'm pretty sure that Sam hasn't taken it that far, Lisa…_

**Gem-** _So? What he like? Is he cute? Does he have a brother? Where'd you meet? When did you two hook up?_

**VictorE-** _'plugging up ears' __**NOT LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION!**_

**Iycee-** _'rolls eyes' You are such a guy, Victor…_

**VictorE- **_**LALALALALALALALALA!**_

**Iycee**_**- **__Anyways, What is the deal, Sam? If you like him this guys gotta be a catch…_

**Chaos-** _Actually, there's a chance you know him, Tina._

There was, too. I'd been invited to every party Tina's family hosted for their extended family, so who's to say Danny didn't get the same luxury? I though about this for a second as I took out twelve guys at one, and realized how lucky I was that I never actually had a conversation with Tucker at said parties.

**Iycee-** _I do?_

**Chaos-** _Well, one of your relatives knows him…_

**Iycee-** _*rolls eyes* Oh yes, that SURE helps!_

I grinned. Tina had the same attitude about her large family as Tucker, though I truly doubted he really felt that way about it.

**Gem-** _Well? Is he cute or not?_

I frowned a little here. Megan was more Tina's friend then mine, as another scholarship kid at my old high school, and honestly I didn't like her boy crazy attitude, especially rich boys. If she ever met Danny…

**Chaos-** _First of all, he's not a boyfriend, just a guy I met. And there's more to this guy then his appearance, Megan. There's his sense of humor, his creativity, his smile…_

**VictorE-** _**LALALALALALALALALA!**_

**Iycee-** _That's a _'Hell yes'_ in Sam-ish, Megan._

…Have I mentioned that Tina can be _really_ annoying at times? Like _**now**_ for instance?

**Chaos-** _Haha. Have any detectives talked to you guys yet?_

**Iycee-** _Just me and my parents. You shoulda heard my dad tell the loser off, it was gold! I taped the convo and sent it to the e-mail you put up here that your parents don't know about. Check it out ASAP._

I grinned again at that. I'd always liked Tina's dad…

**Chaos-** _Will do!_

**VictorE**- _So anything interesting happening? Other then the punk, I mean._

I rolled my eyes. Victor flirted with me every chance he got, despite the fact that the chances of me ever being interested in a date are none-to-less. He wasn't serious, though…. at least not completely. Besides, his crush on me wasn't anywhere near as serious as Tina's crush on him. That combined with the fact that I could never see him as more then a friend made him totally off-limits.

Now he just needed a good, swift kick where the sun doesn't shine to make him see that he and Tina are perfect for one another…

**Chaos-** _No, Oh Stupid One, nothing else you need to know about._

**VictorE-** _He keeping his hands to himself?_

**Chaos-** _Would I still like him if he wasn't?_

**Iycee-** _Score: Sam-1 Victor-0. Don't quit your day job, kiddo._

**VictorE-** _The whole world is against me…*sobs*_

**Chaos-** _Come again?_

**Iycee-** _Megan and I are taking part in a country-wide scholarship program, with representatives form fifty different schools. We're hoping to gain a better education._

**Gem-** _And meet cuter and/or richer guys._

**GerbilGal-** _and Mom already said she'd let me go to whatever school they get into._

**Chaos-** _What about you, Vic?_

**VictorE-** _You kiddin'? Only a third of the schools in it are Co-Ed. Curse Gender Segregation! Isn't that illegal, anyways?_

**Gem-** _It's your own fault you don't have any guy friends._

**VictorE-** _Not true! I'm friends with Eric, ain't I?_

I jumped when I heard a noise behind me and flinched guiltily.

**Chaos-** _Gotta go, guys, my roommate just got back and I don't want him to know I've been using his computer._

And, with that, I logged out and turned the computer off, but not before seeing one last message from Victor that told me I'd said too much.

**VictorE- **_**YOU'RE ROOMING WITH A GUY?**_

"Danny?" I called out, pushing the chair in. "That you?"

"Hey, Sam," Danny sighed as he entered. My eyed widened when I saw him.

He looked like someone had thrown him through a wall, battered him, and maybe dumped him into a fountain. That wasn't all, either. Three thin red lines made their way up his arm, as if he'd been cut by some sort of blade.

"What attacked you?" I gaped, stunned beyond belief.

"It's nothing," Danny assured me, his eyes shifting. "I just fell down."

"Fell down _what_, Mt. Everest?" I snapped, glaring. I'd put up with his lame cover-ups before, but it was obvious now something had gotten its hands on him and used that to their advantage.

Danny didn't acknowledge that, though. I doubt he even hear me, since he looked pretty wiped out.

"What about you? You get hurt when that ghost dragon attacked?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "Freaked out, yeah, but I managed to get away before it could hurt me, thanks to that other ghost,"

"Good," Danny sighed, trudging towards his room. "I'm going to bed. You should turn in, too, it's almost midnight," My eyes widened as I turned to the clock and saw he was right. Had I really been playing DOOMED that long? Wow, time flies…

_Wait a second…_

"How did you get past the Dorm Monitor?" I asked. I knew my eyes would be as round and big as door-knobs by now. "We're not allowed out past ten!" Danny didn't hear me though, shutting his door behind him with an adioable 'click!' I scowled at the closed door for a minute before heading off to my own room.

I hated not knowing what was going on…

"How many of you have been in a life or death situation?" A few eyebrows went up at Mr. Marchez's abrupt, random and admittedly personal question. And, after a slight pause, a few hands went up, mine included. Had he asked this question yesterday, I would've been one of the people giving him an 'are you for real?' look. It was one of the perks to living a sheltered life, I supposed.

I noticed Danny's hand was up, too, and couldn't help but wonder how many life-or-death situations he'd been in. After all, Mr. Lancer said he was the main target for ghost attacks…seeing what had happened yesterday, I'm guessing more then ten…

"How many of you have had something you've had to fight for something you truly care about and ended up getting hurt because of it?" A few more hands went up, and mine and Danny's were some of the ones that stayed raised. After all, it was my bout for the bunnies that sort of got me into this situation in the first place.

"Okay, last question, how many of you have ever loved someone and lost them?" My hand went down, along with several others. As a matter of fact, only three hands were raised, Danny's included. "Good, good…" Mr. Marchez grinned. "Your first project of the school year will deal with these moments in your life. The emotions felt in these moment, your anger, your fear, your desire, those are at their peak in times like these, and we never forget them. Therefore I want you all to design something that expresses these emotions."

"Isn't that a little personal?" One kid in the front asked, clearly offended.

"Damn straight," Mr. Marchez said unapologetically. "But then, art is supposed to be personal, isn't it? All of you have some need, some passion that you express through your work, or else you wouldn't be here. And those of you who're just here for an exploratory credit should get the hell out and join up sewing, cause this ain't an easy ride,"

"Can't you be a little more specific?" another boy complained.

"I'm not doing your thinking for you," Mr. Marchez snorted. "That's what is world is coming to now, no ideas of their own! It's all generic… hmph." Danny and I shared grins as the students who hadn't met Mr. Marchez before looked around, clearly wondering if the teacher was really as crazy as he looked and acted.

I couldn't help but notice that my roommate looked a little tired, though, and wondered what time he'd fallen asleep at. He was already gone that morning when I got up, and I didn't catch him at breakfast, either. Tucker had given me some half babbled excuse about eggs not agreeing with Danny and him having to do some project in English or something, so no help there either.

"This a group project, Teach?" One of the older students asked lazily. Like Danny, he seemed used to Mr. Marchez's quirks.

"Yep." Mr. Marchez said, "You'll all sit with your groups for the course of the project, and ten minutes at the end of every class is devoted for critique. That's another thing, all you pansies who spout off about how sensitive artists are better get the hell outta here, too. Having ideas isn't enough, you gotta learn to see from other people's points of view, too. Besides, life ain't all roses and sunshine and you gotta grow up sooner or later. Danny's the crown jewel here, since he's the only advanced student who had his hand up for all three categories, so the group that gets him lucks out. Any more questions?"

"When do we start?" I asked, half eager half wary.

"Today, of course. Waste no time!"

"What sort of mediums can we use?" One student asked over the scrape of chairs on the hard floor as people went for supplies.

"Whatever you're most comfortable with for now." Mr. Marchez said with a wave of his hand. "I wanna see your best, so I know what to teach you, what your good with and what you should just forget entirely."

I brightened at this. This assignment actually sounded sort of fun. Debating between the two I'd raised my hand for momentarily, I decided to go with the whole Life-or-Death thing. The emotions he's wanted were stronger in that situation, after all. I saw Danny rummaging through some markers, and after a moment's hesitation, I went up to him, tapping him on the shoulder.

He yelped loudly, jumping in fright and wheeling around in one move and swinging an arm out to defend himself. Luckily I just barely dodged it, since I had no doubt he would've accidentally given me a black eye with that strike.

"Jumpy much?" I asked, a little shaken with his reaction.

"Never sneak up on Danny before noon, newbie," The same older boy who'd asked if this was a grouped project chuckled. "Last kid who tried got himself a concussion," Danny blushed brilliantly.

"Sorry," He murmured as the kids around us dived right back into the conversations our little show had interrupted. "Didn't get much sleep last night."

"Noticed that," I said dryly. Then, a little more concerned, I added, "You okay?"

"Fine," Danny said, lifting his sleeve as evidence, his eyes shinning a little. "I'm a fast healer,"

My eyes widened. Fast healer nothing! There was no sign of the deep scratches that had been there not even eight hours earlier. Actually other then the fact that he was really, really tired, Danny seemed in top physical form. It was almost cool in a creepy, superhuman sort of way.

"Wow," I said, impressed. I knew, that once again, my eyes could have been compared to door knobs. "That's… wow. I didn't know it was possible for people to heal that fast, Superman," Danny flinched for some unknown reason.

"Y-Yeah well, it runs in the family." He stammered, quickly gathering his supplies and dashing back to his seat. I blinked.

_Okay… Cute, but a little unpredictable. _I thought dryly, picking up all my supplies, which consisted mostly of charcoals,_ Wonder what the big deal is, anyways?_

Was he attacked by a ghost last night? I though back to those scratches. I guess they could've been made by that dragon thing that attacked me… I was too busy with the teeth and the fire to see if it had claws or not, though. But what about that other ghost?

"_No Ghost is killing students on my watch, pal!"_

He sounded serious when he said that, so how did it get away from him long enough to attack Danny? Then there was that ghost himself, too. From what Matt was saying the ghosts in this school are bad news, but that didn't sound like the sort of thing an evil ghost would say… was he (as corny as this sounded) a good ghost?

I had a sudden thought of a ghost named Casper haunting Casper and had to bite back a snicker.

"What's up?" I turned to see the older guy from before eyeing me curiously.

"Nothing," I answered. "Just random thoughts. You know,"

"Nope," The kid grinned easily. "Anyone here'll tell you I have the brain capacity of an infant. Lower around pretty chicks. I'm Nate. Nate Dobson."

"Sam Manson," I introduced myself, wondering if I should take offence to the 'chicks' comment. I hate degrading names like that…

"I know. You're Danny's roomie. Gotta admit kid, you've got guts…"

"Oh?" My eyebrow kicked up.

"Yeah. I mean, Danny's a great guy, really quiet but still better then asses like Dash, but you couldn't pay me enough to stay in his dorm for a day, let along live as his roomie."

"You're that afraid of ghosts?" I said skeptically.

"Hey, you haven't seen what these things are capable of," Nate said defensively, "Especially the strong ones…"

"I saw that dragon ghost thing," I informed him.

"And on the ghost scale from one to ten, that one rates a three at most," Nate told me dryly. "Well, at least that's how a ghost hunter rated it when they came to try and take out Phantom."

"Phantom? Casper's main ghost?" I said, getting more interested in the conversation.

"Yeah. If you've seen any ghosts around here, you've probably seen Phantom, too. It doesn't take long for him to show. Think he can feel 'em out or something…"

"Wait, was he the one in the black and silver jumpsuit?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"That's him." Nate confirmed with a nod. He moved his paper a bit and began to work absently again. "I think he might've been a student here before, ya know? Though why he's sticking around is anybody's guess. Maybe he's trying to get some payback for Lancer. Seems to be doing a damn good job. The jerk's lost whatever hair he had left trying to figure out just what to do about him…"

"He didn't seem evil to me," I told Nate, dropping my charcoal pencil and crossing my arms.

"Phantom's kinda a wild card," Nate shrugged. "Nobody knows anything about him, other then his name and appearance. And he had to tell us the name part. Before, everyone called him Inviso-bill." I flinched, feeling a wave of sympathy for my savior for putting up with such a terrible name.

"So, how does Phantom rate?" I asked.

"They gave some babble about him still being a young ghost and yadda ya. You might wanna ask Danny, he understands all this ghost tech stuff better then anyone else here, since his parents were the world's leading expert on ghost hunting before they disappeared." I jerked up at that.

"Wait, disappeared?" I repeated. "Danny's parents are missing?"

"Yeah," Nate said casually as a horizontal line appeared on his page. "They were working on some hush-hush project overseas about a year ago and no one's seen a trace of them since."

"Danny didn't mention anything…" I said, frowning. Then I realized he hadn't really spoken of his family at all, save the casual reference of having a sister. And that was more thanks to Tucker then Danny himself.

"He doesn't like talking about it," Nate shrugged, "Still kinda in denial I guess. Can't blame the kid for hoping, no one wants to think that their family's gone for good."

"Guess so…" I said, glancing at Danny again. "He really keeps a lot to himself, huh?"

"I guess," Nate said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "That Foley kid's the only one that's really close to him. Between the ghost thing and his own weird behavior, most guys here like to pretend he doesn't even exist."

_Weird doesn't begin to describe whatever he's into, pal…_ I though dryly, glancing at Danny's arm again.

"The girls at Wendy aren't much better, 'cept his sister. He's got it bad for Paulina Sanchez like almost every other straight guy in this school, but she doesn't care if he's alive or dead." My heart dropped to my shoes.

Danny liked Paulina.

_DANNY_ liked _PAULINA?_

_**DANNY LIKED PAULINA?**_

How unbelievably unfair was THAT?

"Danny likes Paulina?" I asked casually, though it was a little strained.

"Yeah, but she's only got eyes for Phantom," Apparently my skepticism showed on my face, since Nate gave me a helpless shrug. "Ghosts attack Wendy as much as they do Casper, and Paulina plays the perfect damsel in distress." Then, in a falsetto Spanish voice he added, _"Oh, Phantom's my hero! He saved me from all the big bad ghosts! He's so cool and brave! We must be destined for one another!"_

"Ease up, Nick. I can tell you right now Phantom ain't interested." Danny called absently from where he sat, just a little ways off. Nick threw a wadded up ball of paper at the back of Danny's head as the rest of the class laughed at his expense, which my roommate caught easily. I couldn't help but grin.

_All-boys schools, _I decided, _have a much more interesting flair to them then all-girls schools._

"Okay, should I go with the blue shirt or the red one?" Tucker asked nervously as he held both shirts against him. Danny and I rolled our eyes and groaned.

"You're asking her to a dance, Tuck, not proposing," Danny reminded his friend dryly.

"Yeah," I added, "And if she really likes you, would she even care what color your shirt is?"

"Come on, guys!" Tucker protested, a whine fighting its way into the words. "I really want to impress Valerie!"

"And what makes you think we know any more about what kind of outfit a girl would like to see you in then you do?" Danny countered.

"Yeah," I said. It wasn't a complete lie after all. I didn't care what Tucker wore, and like I really knew what a Wendy girl would want to see him in.

Danny, on the other hand…

_Bad girl! Bad!_ I chastised myself soundlessly, shaking my head to banish such traitorous thoughts.

"Sam?" Danny asked, concerned. "You okay?"

"Fine," I answered at once.

"Hey, who're you two gonna take to the dance, anyways?" Tucker asked suddenly. "I mean, are you gonna make another try at Paulina or not, Danny? Cause if you are, you might wanna get moving…" I felt myself withdraw from the conversation a bit at that. Another? Meaning he'd asked her out before?

"Yeah, of course," Danny said. "Who else could I ask? Not that there's like any chance of her agreeing to go out with me, but who knows, I might get lucky…"

_Yeah, because anyone who's dating that shallow witch is the luckiest guy on earth…_ I thought bitterly as I munched on the sandwich that I'd snagged and brought to Tucker's dorm room.

"What about you, Sam?"

"Not going," I answered at once.

"Why not?" Danny asked, his eyebrow raised.

"I don't like things like that," _Cover or not, I an NOT going on a date with another girl! Noooo way! _ "Besides, I'm too new here; no one would want to go out with me."

"Come on, Sam, even Danny goes, and he never gets a date!"

"Yeah, thanks Tuck, thanks a lot," Danny said sarcastically.

"Besides, I don't even know anything about this dance," I said.

"It's just a sort of Welcoming back party they hold at Wendy's before we throw Homecoming here." Danny explained. "They have a different theme every year."

"What's this year's theme, anyways?" Tucker asked Danny.

"_Masquerade Ball,"_ Danny said in feigned excitement, before rolling his eyes and adding, "Jazz's idea."

"That doesn't sound as bad as they could've made it," I said, bemused.

"True enough," Tucker agreed, "Last years was _'Fairytales come true,'_"

"Pure irony…" Danny added dryly.

"Why?"

"First attack on Wendy, and by the dragon ghost that tried to take you out," Tucker explained.

"Wow, that is ironic…" I laughed. "Think this ghost had a fix for parties?"

"Yes," Danny and Tucker answered as one.

"More then you'll ever know…" Danny added. I laughed.

"Anyways, I'll ask Valerie at the big game on Friday," Tucker told us. "And while I do that, Danny can introduce you to the Wendy girls that might be interested in going out with you."

"I already told you-!" I started, but Tucker had already taken off to rummage through the rest of his clothes. Danny shook his head.

"Maybe Tucker has a point," Danny said, "I mean, you would've want to stay in the dorm by yourself while everyone else is partying, right?"

"I'm not going," I said firmly. Danny sighed and stood up as well, going to throw away his trash. He too had snagged a sandwich from the Dinning Hall.

_At least,_ I added to myself, an idea coming to me, _I'm not going as Samuel…_


	4. Chapter 4

"Trust me, dude, this is for your own good," Tucker assured me brightly. "Once you see all the hot Wendy chicks, you'll be glad you came!"

"I am gonna kill you once you untie me, Tucker," I growled, glaring at the boy.

"I had nothing to do with this," Danny said for the fifth time that day, causing me to roll my eyes.

For those of you who are confused, let me bring you up to date. I was just finishing up my first week at Casper, and everything was going swell (save Danny's random disappearing acts.).

I was now almost inseparable from him and Tucker, not to mention that Nate and I were becoming good friends, too. (Once I learned to ignore his frequent perverted comments, at any rate) I was even on fairly good terms with my teachers, and had begun to really look up to Mr. Marchez. For the first time in my life, I was actually excited to go to a class.

Then Friday came.

Tucker was relentless about bringing me to meet the girls who attended Wendy. And after it became obvious he wasn't gonna get me there willingly, he decided to go for more sneaky, underhanded tactics.

Such as tackling me to the ground and tying me up around the chest and wrists with rope he'd gotten from the gym supplies. Worst part was, though, I couldn't struggle or else my little 'secret' would be revealed then and there.

There'd already been one close call with Danny, when he was coming back in right after I got out of the shower and was about to head off to bed. I'd taken my bandages off before getting in, and was terrified he's see my chest wasn't exactly the same shape as Samuel's was supposed to be.

Luckily, though, I'd managed to get into my room before he even noticed I was there, tired from his impromptu trip to Tucker's apartment for his Thermos. Yes, thermos. Why he needed it was a mystery to me. Almost as big of one as why the trip had been a good three hours long.

Still, after recovering from a heart attack and a half, I decided to wear my bandages at all times, even when I was sleeping. Discomfort was a small price to pay to keep my secret.

A part of me was starting to feel guilty for lying to Danny, but I tried to suppress that the best I could. After all, even if I liked him I barely knew the guy. Besides, my gender and family had been the only thing I really lied to him about. Other then that, I was being completely and one-hundred-percent honest. And he was clearly keeping some secrets of his own, so it wasn't like he could accuse me of dishonesty.

"Ah! Here we are!" Tucker said, stopping. "Casper High Stadium!" I stared at the football stadium in front of me.

"Big enough?" I asked, blinking.

"Dash's dad is a football player," Danny explained. "And Mr. Lancer's big on jocks."

"Makes sense…" I muttered. I'd been scolded by the Headmaster three times already in the last week, and it didn't take long to see that Danny had a reserved spot in his office.

No joke, either. It had a plaque with his name and everything.

"Hey, there's Valerie!" Tucker said, grinning and waving. "Hey, Val!" I craned my head to see who my friend was yelling for, and noticed a pretty girl with long curly hair heading out way.

I cringed when I saw her uniform, which consisted of a pink sweater vest, white shirt, baby blue bow tie and pink and blue plaited skirt. Jazz wasn't kidding about Wendy's uniforms...

Realizing that she had to wear this and that she was still complaining about the uniforms in that English school I would be in if not for Casper, I suppressed a shudder.

"Tucker!" Valerie called back, grinning. "Hey, Danny." She paused at the sight of me, her eyebrow kicking up. "New… ah… friend?"

"Hey Val," Danny said calmly. "And yeah. This is Sam, my roomie. Sam, this is Valerie Grey."

"Pleasure," Valerie said, coughing back a laugh. "Ah, do I wanna know-?"

"No," I sighed, knowing she was going to question why I was tied up. "And it's nice to meet you too, Valerie,"

"Ah, Val? Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" Tucker asked, nervous.

"Sure, Tuck," Valerie smirked at Danny knowingly. "See ya round, guys," And with that, the two were off.

"She seemed nice enough," I said, struggling to get the knots loose.

"Yeah, but she wasn't always that way," Danny sighed. "Before, she wouldn't give Tuck the time of day. After her father's accident, though, she became a scholarship kid and changed her ways."

"Ah, a case of seeing the light?" I said knowingly.

"More like a case of the light giving her a swift kick in the behind," Danny sighed (I swear I heard him snigger a little at the last part) "but yeah." Danny untied me, allowing me to rub my aching wrists. Danny looked at the stadium, "Well, as long as we're here, do you wanna check things out?" I made a face.

"Do we have to?" I asked. Danny chuckled.

"Come on. The bus back to school won't come back for another half an hour, any ways." The blue-eyed boy said, steering me into the stadium.

Raven Stadium was just as impressive on the inside as it had been on the out, and students from both Wendy and Casper lolled about, watching the football team and cheerleaders practice.

It didn't take long to notice that two students had the spotlight. One was Paulina, looking far more petty and superficial then the last time I saw her, and the other one was a blond boy who I'd seen once or twice in the hall, but never talked to.

"That's Dash, Baxter, the quarterback of the football team." Danny explained, seeing where I was looking, "Watch out for him, you don't wanna get on his bad side."

"Danny?" A voice called out, causing us to turn. It was another Wendy girl, this one I didn't recognize. She was pretty, older then us to, and I immediately became guarded as she approached with a small smile on her face.

"Oh, hey Liz," Danny said casually. "Didn't see you there. What are you doing here anyways? Don't you find organized sports an _'ineffective use to time and energy and yet another excuse for empty-headed muscle to be supported in the eyes of the general public who still can't see how barbaric it is?'_" The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Haha." She said teasingly. "I'm here with your sister." Danny groaned here. "Yep, you're in for it big time, little man,"

"Don't call me that," Danny mumbled absently, lost in his misery. Liz laughed, and then she noticed me.

"Hello, here's a new face," She said. Then she looked confused for a moment and added, "Least I think I haven't seen you before… have I? You look familiar…"

"No," I answered quickly, a little worried the girl knew me from one of my parent's stupid parties. "T-That is, I don't think we've met before…" Liz shrugged.

"Well, we're meeting now." She said smiling. "I'm Lizella Cartel, Liz for short. And you are…?"

"Sam," I answered, "Sam Manson," Liz looked startled.

"Any relation to Matt Manson?" Liz asked, looking excited. My heart skipped a beat.

"Uh…"

"I knew you looked familiar!" Liz exclaimed, triumphant. "Brother? No, he told me all he had was a little sister, lemme think… cousins, then?"

"Yes!" I said, a bit too quickly. "Yeah, um we're cousins. I live In New York and don't see Matt too often,"

"Lucky," Luz said teasingly, rolling her eyes. "Your cousin's a real jerk sometimes, you know?"

"...Oh?" Someone out there actually acknowledged Matt wasn't perfect? This was one for the books…

"Mmhm," Liz sighed. "A jerk who doesn't understand girls _at all_,"

"Come on, Liz, it's not nice to gossip about people behind their backs, no matter how mad at them you are." A familiar voice broke in, amused. My eyes widened as Jazz came over, surprise flickering over her pretty face at the sight of my roomie. "Danny?" Her gaze turned to me and she stopped dead, paling. "SAM?"

"You know him?" I said, confused.

"You know her?" Danny asked me, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know my sister?"

"SISTER?" I yelled, looking between them, "You two look nothing alike!"

"Fortunately," Jazz and Danny said at the same time, making faces at each other. Liz giggled, but I was still very, very confused.

"Danny takes after dad, and I take after mom," Jazz explained vaguely. "How'd you two meet?"

"Roomies," Danny answered. Jazz stiffened slightly, shooting me an uneasy look.

"…Really," She said, her voice strained, as if had she tried to say any thing more at the current moment she wouldn't have been able to utter a noise at all.

"Yeah. How do you know him?" Danny shot back.

"Matt introduced us," Jazz said finally. "Danny? Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"Will I get a choice?" Danny muttered. Jazz responded in the negative physically by grabbing him by the arm and hauling him away.

"That was different," I muttered. Liz laughed.

"You should see them at parties," She grinned. "Danny's the kind of little bro that makes me glad to be an only child." I grinned back.

_Wait… isn't Liz the name of the girl Matt has a crush on?_ I remembered suddenly. I studied the girl again and grinned evilly, _Oh, this ought to be good…_

"So, exactly how do you know my cousin, anyways?" I asked.

"He was my partner in a project we had to do freshman year with a flour sack," Liz answered, rolling her eyes. "We fought the whole time and drove each other nuts. But when it ended, we couldn't bring ourselves to just break it off. So we started chatting through phone and e-mail and next thing I knew…" Liz trailed off, shrugging.

"So when did you two start dating?" I asked. Liz sputtered, turning red.

"We're not dating!" She said, earning stares from a lot of people, who began to whisper behind their hands. Liz scowled at them, "Yeah, I'm speaking in public. Gotta problem?" The Wendy girls glared and moved away. "Jerks…" I struggled with a laugh.

"Sorry," I said. "I just thought…"

"Yeah," Liz sighed. "S'okay. Everybody does."

"Do you want to be Matt's girlfriend?" I asked curiously. Liz seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Maybe…" She answered honestly, without a hint of shyness. "If he could stop being so freakin' _perfect_ for about three seconds, I might seriously consider it." I laughed. I was liking Liz more and more.

"You don't like that Matt's perfect?" I asked. "Most girls are all over him for it!" Liz raised an eyebrow.

"Most girls," She stated, "Are bumbling airheads." I grinned. Oh, I liked Liz, alright.

And I could tell you right now she and mom would absolutely hate each other. With that in mind, I started contemplating ways to get her together with Matt. I was still deep in thought when Danny and Jazz rejoined us.

"Hey, Dan, There's something I wanted to talk to you about," Liz said as she saw the boy approach. "You remember my friend Tammy, right?" Danny groaned.

"No, Liz," He said firmly.

"You haven't even heard what I was gonna say!" Liz said, insulted.

"Let me guess," Danny said sarcastically. "_'Well, she's got the cutest little sister around your age! Just the kind of girl for you, Danny, smart, cheerful, great sence of humor…'_"

"Oh, come on, Danny!" Liz said in exasperation, "You need more of a social life, kid! Sulking in your dorm isn't gonna get Paulina to like you, and there are better girls out there! You just need to get up and meet them!"

"I don't have time to meet girls, Liz," Danny sighed in exasperation.

"I dunno, Danny," Jazz frowned. "Liz has a point…"

"Not you too, Jazz," Danny groaned.

"Oh, come on, Danny, you do enough! You deserve a little happiness once in a while, just like everyone else," Jazz scolded.

"And drag a complete stranger into my problems?" Danny countered. "No one deserves that kind of life!"

"Well, find someone who likes you enough not to care," Jazz said reasonably. "Even if your life's a little different, that isn't as important as you think, Danny! Do you think I care about it? And what about Tucker? Who's to say you can't find a girl who'd say the same?"

"You're my sister," Danny sighed. "You're obligated not to care by birth. And I've known Tucker forever. Besides, he still feels guilty for causing the accident. Face it, Jazz, I'm hopeless." Liz and I stared at them, confused.

It was like they were speaking another language, dancing around the edges of Danny's big secret enough to let people know something was up, but not telling them what. And honestly, it was giving me a big migraine.

Jazz looked like she was about to retort when she noticed us staring. So instead, she laughed nervously, obviously searching for a distraction.

"H-hey! Isn't that Fred over there? Come on, Liz, we need to ask him about the dance!" And, hauling her friend away, Jazz was out of there as fast as she could go.

"I didn't know Jazz was your sister," I said, sitting on the guardrail that kept people from falling onto the field. Now that I thought about it, though, that explained why he drew pictures of her…

"I didn't know you knew Jazz," Danny shot back, looking amused. "Anyways, it's not that big a deal. I only really get to see her on weekends or at big events during the school year. Then we _'reconnect with each other'_ over breaks," Danny gave a half hearted eye roll, and I had to laugh.

"You two seem really close, though," I said between chuckled. Remembering the gauze she'd given me, I added, "And she obviously cares about you,"

"Yeah, that's a big sister thing, I guess," Danny sighed. "Especially after mom and dad left," That was tempting. I wanted oh so badly to ask if the rumors about his parents were true, but I didn't for two reasons.

A.) I didn't want to upset him. We'd only known each other for a week, and he was sensitive as far as his family was concerned, evasive about revealing too much about them.

B.) I'd leaned back too far while contemplating this and ended up falling off over the guardrail.

_WHAM!_

"Ow," I moaned, sitting up. It was just my luck to land on something hard. I blinked for a moment when the laugher I'd expected after that oh-so-graceful fall never came, and looked up to see horrified, pale faces staring don't at me, which only served to confuse me more.

Until I looked down to see the 'something hard' I'd landed on was actually a _someone…_

…AND that someone was Dash Baxter.

He stood up, towering over me by at least three or four feet and looking fine, but none too happy.

"You're dead," He growled, grabbing the front of my shirt and drawing back to punch me.

_Oh, crap…_

"I can fight my own battles."

"I know."

"I didn't need your help,"

"I know,"

"If you knew, why did you punch him like that?"

"What did you expect me to do, sit there?" I sighed, rolling my eyes then flinching at the throbbing pain this cause my head. Dash only hit me once in the face, which promised to bruise, but luckily that was my only injury. Danny was a little worse, though.

His left wrist was in bandages, along with a patch on his left cheek and several bruises, to say nothing of his stomach with must've hurt after the way Dash punched him there. Not to say Dash was uninjured. He had a few battle scars of his own, along with about six or seven other players on the football team. Who knew Danny was such a good fighter?

Though I wasn't allowed to actually say it, being a 'guy' and all, I was very, very grateful Danny had stepped in when he had. If Dash'd hit me again, he might've felt something, and in front of all those students…

Now, though, I felt guilty. I mean, It was my stupid fault this all happened, and Danny was going to get the worst of the trouble because he'd knocked that jerk who'd tried to attack him from behind out, and the kid hadn't woken up yet.

"Where'd you learn to do that kind of stuff, anyways?" I had to ask.

"My mom is a black belt in like, twenty four styles of martial arts," Danny shrugged modestly. "She's always fussed about me not knowing how to defend myself…" I gaped.

"Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said grimly, glowering at the two of us, "You first." Danny gave me a weak smile before getting up and heading into the office. After one last glare at me, Mr. Lancer followed.

_Oh, I am so dead,_ I realized grimly. Probably not as bad as Danny, who'd beaten up over half the football team single handedly, but I was still pretty dead. My attention diverted from this as Tucker entered the office loudly, his face aglow.

"Is it true?" He asked. "Please tell me it's true!"

"What?" I asked, wary of gossip.

"Danny beat up Dash!" Tucker exclaimed. "Sent him to the Infirmary with a fat lip!"

"Among other things," I sighed. Tucker burst out laughing.

"Beautiful!" He exclaimed joyfully. "Absolutely beautiful! I've been trying to convince him to use his powers to get revenge for forever now, but he's always refused! Man do I owe you! I'm gonna have to shell out for a copy of that tape from Mikey once he makes copies…" I stared at Tucker.

"…_Powers?"_ I repeated, my eyes never wavering from my friend. Tucker went absolutely still, the blood leaving his face.

"Uh… yeah, you know…" Tucker laughed nervously. I didn't so much as crack a smile. Powers? What could he be talking about? Tucker sighed, "Oh, man Danny's gonna kill me for telling you this…" He muttered.

"What?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. Was I finally gonna be let into the secret of what had my roomie out all ours of the night? Why his parents went AWOL? What he was so afraid of letting other people know?

"Danny… is the heir to a major company now days," Tucker responded, "A BIG company. If anyone except me and Jazz knew, he'd have fake friends and gold diggers all over him in a heartbeat. I'm not going to tell you what company, that's Danny's business," Tucker told me, looking me in the eye. Then, under his breath, he added, "literally,"

"I guess I understand," I said, frowning. "And this company is big enough to affect Pro football?" Tucker chuckled.

"Oh, yeah," He grinned. "Danny's guardian is a major football freak. Real Cheesehead." Cheesehead? In my sports-deficient mind, it took a while to make a connection with the Green Bay Packers.

"I guess I get it," I said slowly, blushing slightly. When Tucker had said powers, I almost though he was talking like a superhero or something. Now, though, I felt really, really stupid. Danny was cute, rich and fun, but Superman he was not, even if he healed like him.

"That is all, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said, opening his door. "Mrs. Gretchen will escort you back to your dorm, which you're not allowed to leave for the rest of the weekend. Mr. Foley, please return to your room. Mr. Manson, come in."

"Good luck, kid," Danny murmured, giving me a smile as he passed.

"Thanks," I whispered back, smiling. Then, with a resigned sigh, I entered Mr. Lancer's office.

"Well, Mr. Manson, I suppose I should congratulate you." Mr. Lancer said dryly. "You've managed to exceed every expectation of how much trouble you'd cause. Mr. Baxter and several other members of the football team and staff and students in general claim you are the cause for today's ruckus," I rolled my eyes.

"It was an accident," I muttered under my breath.

"That much I was able to gather from the other students." Mr. Lancer sighed. "Along with Mr. Fenton. That is, after he realized that trying to shoulder all the blame himself was getting him nowhere as far as getting you out of trouble was concerned…" I started in surprise. Danny tried to take the heat for me? Wow, that was touching, considering we'd only known each other for a week.

"It wasn't Danny's fault," I said quickly.

"Actually, quite a bit of it is," Mr. Lancer sighed. "Especially since he admitted himself that you never threw a single punch. Though how he managed to do that much damage and one to eight odds is a mystery to everyone. It's true is scores in gym have been high since he entered the ninth grade, but not that good…" I stayed quiet. "At any rate, punishments must be dealt out. You will be joining Mr. Fenton in detention for the next month, and helping him and Mr. Folupa clean the science lab every day for a week. Also, a note will be sent home to your parents."

"Yes, Mr. Lancer," I said obediently. This wasn't as bad as it could've been, and something told me Danny had indeed taken most of the hit for me yet again, making me feel a lot more guilty.

"That's all, Mr. Manson," Mr. Lancer sighed, standing and walking me to his office door. "And try not to cause any more problems in the future. I may not be so lenient next time,"

Before I could respond, the door shut behind me with a sharp click. Shrugging, I started away, wondering how in the world I could make things up to Danny. After all, he'd saved my butt without needing to twice in one day. That's not something you see too often in society today, especially for me.

The question was, though, how could I help him? He seemed to be doing okay with his homework, and if he was as rich as Tucker hinted he was, there weren't any material items he wanted. What on earth could someone like me do to help a guy who was almost more then human?

I sighed, starting to get a headache when I noticed a small, weatherworn path leading into the woodsy part of the campus. Deciding a nature walk would do me good, I took the path, which looked like no one else had taken in a while. This was fine with me, I preferred being alone when I was thinking.

Soon, though, I gave up on all that just to enjoy the sights and sounds around me. I couldn't help it, I've always loved nature. The colors, the smells, the sensations… it was invigorating.

I smiled to myself and closed my eyes to take in the sounds around me without distraction. I heard a number of birds chirping merrily, some squirrels scampering around, scourging for food, soft singing, and various other wild animals in their natural habitat…

_Wait, back up,_ My eyes snapped open. _Singing?_ I frowned curiously, straining myself to hear the words to the song that was being sung under someone's breath. My curiosity getting the better of me, I started forward, careful not to break any twigs or step on any particularly dry leaves as I walked. What I found left me with my breath suspended in my throat.

Sitting on an old tree, glowing ever so slightly, was the ghost boy, Phantom. All I saw of him was a profile, but it was enough to confirm that his eyes were indeed a vivid green color. A lot of him, from my angle, was covered by leaves and branches which seemed to glow slightly in his presence.

He seemed comfortable longed up in that tree, completely at ease. On leg hung lazily over the edge of the branch he'd perched on and the other supported what looked like a sketchbook. Normally, I would've raised an eyebrow at the thought of a ghost known for causing chaos and destruction being an artist, but I was too busy gaping at the boy's audience.

Gathered around the tree were various animals, all completely relaxed and comfortable in the presence of the undead spirit. Wild cats and dogs rested at the base of the tree, some eyeing me suspiciously but raising no alarm. Various birds, squirrels and other woodland creatures had collected on the branches of the tree in which Phantom sat, and those nearby, the bravest of which being a beautiful black falcon with golden eyes currently resting on Phantom's shoulder. I was so stunned at this sight; it took me a while to actually hear what the ghost was singing.

"…_Show me what it's like, to be the last one standing. And teach me wrong from right, and I'll show you what I can be. Say it for me, say it to me, and I'll leave this life behind me. Say it if it's worth saving me…" _

I cocked my head to listen better. He was a pretty good singer, but more then that, his voice sounded so desperate. I didn't recognize the song, but he put his soul into singing those lyrics. Like he really wanted someone, anyone at all to hear them…

"…_Heaven's gates won't open up for me. With these broken wings I'm falling and all I see is you. These city wall ain't got no love for me. I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story and, oh, I scream for you…"_

I felt myself relaxing a little, understanding this mysterious ghost a little better. It was stupid, I know, to think I knew him just by hearing him sing a song, but I seriously felt that this ghost wasn't evil at all. Just…

… Just lonely.

I took a step back absently, stiffening when a twig snapped under my heel. It was a soft sound, but no me it sounded more like a gunshot in the otherwise quite air.

Apparently Phantom thought so, too.

Next thing I knew, I was pinned against another tree, staring into Phantom's startled green eyes.

"Sam?" He said, confused. This confused _**me**_.

"You know me?" I studied him. His face did look familiar, but I couldn't place it. Phantom turned red under my scrutiny.

"I-I heard one of the other boys call you that." Phantom stammered. Then he glared at me suspiciously, and said, "Why are you here? Did someone send you?" Then, in an even sharper voice, he added, "You're not working for Plasmius, are you?"

"Who?" I asked, bewildered, "No one sent me! I'm not working for anyone, I don't even know who this Plasmas guy is…"

"Plasmius," Phantom corrected. I rolled my eyes.

"Plasmius," I amended. "And I'm here because I had some thinking to do, and this seemed like the best place to get it done." Phantom relaxed slightly.

"Sorry," He murmured, stepping away, "It's just… It wouldn't be the first time he's sent human ghost hunters after me…"

"I'm not a ghost hunter," I sighed. "Before I came here, I didn't even believe in ghosts." Phantom chuckled.

"Lost that fast," He muttered dryly.

"No thanks to you," I countered playfully. "Phantom, right?"

"Yeah," Phantom said. The he quickly added, "And you? I mean, it is Sam, right?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Hey, um, thanks for saving me from that dragon the other day," Phantom shrugged.

"It wasn't a big deal," He said honestly. "That Dragon's not the toughest ghost I've ever dealt with." I smiled at him.

"So, what's with your friends?" I asked, motioning to the animals. Phantom blushed.

"Ah, well, animals have a higher sensitivity for ghosts," He answered, and was it just me, or did he seem a bit proud? "And until humans, they can tell if a ghost is good or bad right from the start,"

"I'm guessing you're on our side, then?" I said, hesitantly petting one of the nearby dogs. His tail wagged happily.

"Yeah," Phantom said, swallowing back a lump in his throat. "Listen, I gotta go…" I hid my disappointment the best I could.

"I understand," I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I should be getting back to my dorm anyways. It was nice talking to you, Phantom. And thanks again," Phantom smiled before disappearing right before my eyes. I smiled softly to myself, proud for making a new friend out of the mysterious ghost-boy.

I stood up as the animals dispersed, and started back to my dorm, hoping Danny wouldn't ask me where I'd been and thinking up a good excuse, just in case…


	5. Chapter 5

"You sigh one more time today, Kiddo, and I'm gonna show you what a real hit feel like." I blinked back to the present at Mr. Marchez's warning.

"I'm fine, Mr. Marchez," I said instantly. The art teacher snorted.

"Sure you are," He said sarcastically. "That's why you missed the dismissal bell." I froze at that, glancing around me wildly to see the room was empty.

"Uhh…" I felt my face start to heat up. Mr. Marchez gave me a pointed smirk.

"Relax, Kiddo, everyone gets like that. At least you didn't fall asleep of anything. Then you'd be in real trouble."

"Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"The last kid to fall asleep in class had his hair spray-painted pink by another student," My teacher answered. I stared at him, torn between making a face and laughing myself silly.

"Seriously?" I asked, my voice raising an octave.

"Took him a week to get it out…" That one did make me laugh. "So what's got your head in the clouds? Usually its Dan I've gotta smack with a rolled up piece of newspaper."

"Just… thinking," I said plainly.

"About Danny?" Mr. Marchez clarified. I stared at him in surprise. "It ain't that hard to see, Kiddo, and he's such a strange one that everyone tried to get him to crack. His sister even sent some Psychologist here to 'examine' him last year," Mr. Marchez made a face. "Now that woman was a crackpot…"

"I just don't see what the big secret is," I sighed. Mr. Marchez scowled.

"Don't talk like that, kid," He told me shortly. "And don't go snooping, either. It ain't your place."

"But if he's really getting into something dangerous-!" I started to protest.

"He ain't in over his head yet, and when he is we'll know," Mr. Marchez said severely. "You expect me to believe Danny knows everything about you?"

"No…" I admitted, feeling guilty.

"Leave him be, Sam. If he needs you, he'll come on his own. 'Til then just do what you can and wait patiently. Plus it'd probably help to trust _him_ more."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You want his deepest darkest secrets, give him yours." Mr. Marchez said simply. I blinked.

"Are you insane?" I asked incredulously.

"Only according to the American judicial system." M. Marchez shot back.

"I can't tell him all my secrets! Sure he's a great guy and all, but we just met! Besides, I don't want to load my troubles and secrets on him,"

"Then why can't the same be said of Dan, hm?" Mr. Marchez asked quietly. I stiffened at that.

"I… I just want to know about his parents more then anything else." I lied. Sure, that was one of the points I wanted to bring up, but it wasn't the only one, or even the most crucial. More then that, I wanted to know what was out to hurt him so badly and why.

"His _parents_?" Mr. Marchez blinked as if the word was foreign to him. I nodded.

"I've heard some rumors about them, but he hadn't said a word." I explained. "It's not my place, so I haven't actually asked him anything, but…"

"Dunno anything about his parents, Kiddo," Mr. Marchez sighed. "They were overseas when Danny first entered High School, and were proclaimed missing about three months after he started. Met his Guardian, though," The art teacher made a face here. "Now that guy's a piece of work. Arrogant and slick as oil. Its no wonder Danny hates him…"

"Isn't hate a bit of a strong word?" My roommate's voice interrupted us, making me jump.

"We're talkin' about Vlad," Mr. Marchez said simply.

"Never mind then," Danny came into the room. "It was an understatement. Loathe with every fiber of my being, THAT'S a more accurate way of putting it…"

"Uh, did you forget something?" I asked lamely, feeling awkward at being caught talking about him.

"Yeah," Danny said, leaning against a wall. "I am NOT gonna sit through lunch alone with Tucker. Not when he's got a new song he's singing along to." I laughed as Danny shuddered.

"I'm coming." I said obediently, standing up. I started to put my things away, But Mr. Marchez stopped me.

"I got it, kid," He said. "You go on. God knows you need all the food you can get…" I smiled at him in thanks and followed Danny out the door.

"Hey, Danny?" I said after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah?"

"Um… I wanted to ask you about your parents…" Danny faltered for a moment, looking at me with an unreadable expression. My nerves building up, I quickly added, "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, it's just…"

"Nah," Danny sighed. "Everything considered, I guess I owe you that much."

_Huh?_

"My mom and dad are Jack and Maddie Fenton," He started out. "You probably don't know them, but they're pretty big in the Ghost Hunting world. Well, Mom is bigger then Dad but that's beside the point."

"Nate mentioned something about that," I acknowledged. "That was the first I'd heard of your parents, though."

"No one's seen 'em in a year," Danny said grimly. "They've been presumed dead, and all custody of me and Jazz has been handed over to our Dad's best friend in college."

"But you don't think so?" I asked softly.

"If they were dead, I'd know," Danny said confidently. "Besides, they're good at their job, I know they're alive." I bit my lip for a moment, and then decided to get away from the tension with a new subject.

"Anyways, Nate mentioned you know all about the whole 'Ghost Scale' thing." I said. Danny nodded, smiling slightly as he began to walk again. I followed, exceedingly proud of myself for getting even that small smile.

"I should. My Dad's the one who made it," He said. "Basically what they do if take the ecto-signatures that each ghost gives out and break it down to know the patterns, output and age of the ghost's powers. That way, you can know how dangerous a ghost is and what kinds of weapons to use on it,"

"Wow," I said, impressed. I barely understood a word of it, but it sounded cool.

"We've still got the Fenton Ecto-Examiner lying around in storage somewhere," Danny continued. "It was the first of its kind ever made. Then again, most of the stuff Dad makes is…" I laughed at his dry tone at the last part. Despite that, though, he sounded really proud of his parents.

"Nate mentioned that the Dragon Ghost scored a 3, too," I added.

"3.34," Danny corrected vaguely. "Mild pyro-based abilities and quick to enrage, but otherwise weak compared to other ghosts."

"What about Phantom?" I asked, curious despite myself. Danny stiffened.

"No one really knows," He said shortly. "You can't get an accurate reading of a ghost until it's been in existence for anywhere between 4 to 5 years, since that's usually how long it takes them to stabilize their powers."

"How long has Phantom existed?" I asked.

"About a year now," I stopped.

"He's only been around a year and he can already beat older ghosts?" I asked, my eyes popping out of my head. Danny shrugged, not all that bothered by my shock. Well, he did look a little uncomfortable but other then that…

"Phantom's… not like other ghosts," Danny said carefully. "And anyways, he had to fight a lot to get rid of the ghosts that keep coming out of the Fenton Portal, so he gets a lot of experience…"

"Fenton Portal?" I raised an eyebrow.

"It connects the Ghost Zone where the ghosts live to our world," Danny explained. "Ghosts can get in through it if we're not careful, but it's also the only way to get ghosts out of our world, too."

"Makes sense," I said, nodding thoughtfully. "So no one knows what Phantom's capable of?"

"Not even Phantom," Danny said dryly. I flinched.

"Knowing you have a lot of power and not knowing how much or how it works? Scary thought…"

"You have no idea…" Danny muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Come on, We'd better get to the cafeteria before they riot and ban together to take drastic measure to stop Tucker's singing."

"He's that bad?" I said, a little wary now. Danny rolled his eyes.

"You have no idea…"

"Excuse me, miss, do you have the time?" I smiled broadly, most likely scaring the guy a little.

"6:35!" I chirped happily, practically skipping away. That statement totally made my day, as it acknowledged I was once again a girl.

After Danny had left to study with Tucker (And help him with the injuries he'd sustained from the boys who would not tolerate his singing,) I decided I had enough of being a boy for a while. So, after stuffing an outfit into my bag, I got an off-campus pass and headed for the city. One there a quick change in a gas station bathroom had me a very happy, very female Sam Manson.

The only thing was that it took forever to get the gel out of my hair. Once it was out, though, I studied myself in a mirror and was satisfied that no one would recognize me. Especially with the make-up, my hair down and the fact that I now had curves and a skirt. (it was such a relief not to have my breathing being restricted…)

I couldn't stop grinning now, which was scaring some of the people around me. Not that I cared. I had a million and one things I wanted to do now, but first thing was first. I was starting to run out of gauze, and didn't want to have to resort to taking more from Jazz so long as I still had money from my last allowance.

With that thought in mind, I entered a local doctor's office Yin/Yang Medical Practice.

It was a pretty small place, filled with all sorts of medicines. The thing that caught my attention, though, was that the store part of the office, where you bought whatever the doctor prescribed you, was divided into two. One section was for all the modern medicines and one for home-made herbal concoctions. I puzzled over this for a moment, having never seen a store like this.

_CRASH!_

I jump at the sound of breaking bottles, wheeling around as someone behind me cursed vividly. Standing there, looking rather harassed, was a short man with owl-like glasses. He was nearly bald, and the little hair that he did have was frizzy and gray. He wore a doctor's coat with a nametag pinned to the left breast pocket. Right now he was glaring rather irritably at the box he'd just dropped.

"Need some help?" I asked him politely. He blinked at me in alarm, apparently noticing for the first time that I was there. Now that he was turned my way, I could read the name on his tag. H. JEERINGS.

"Help?" He repeated blankly. I picked up the broom that was leaning nearby against a wall and began to brush the broken glass into a pile. "Oh! Yes, yes, thank you… who are you?"

"Sam…antha," I managed to catch myself and say my full name just in time. "I'm Samantha…" I got stuck on the last name past, and looked around frantically, my eyes landing on a poster of Phantom across the way. I had a flashback of my meeting with him in the forest, of the song he was singing, of the piercing golden eyes of the bird on his shoulder… "Falcon! Samantha Falcon,"

"Well thank you, Miss Falcon," Dr. Jeerings said, sighing in relief. "God knows I need all the help I can get since Jim quit…"

"No problem," I said, smiling. "I'm always happy to lend a hand!"

"Now, Miss Falcon, how can I help _you_?" Dr. Jeerings asked.

"I just need some gauze." I said.

"That's in the back. Hang on a moment…" He hobbled to the door that was slightly ajar behind him, with a sign that read EMPLOYEES ONLY on the door. I hovered at the doorframe and watched him sift through box after box, my eyes scanning the room until I saw a big one that had what I was looking for.

"Is that it over there?" I asked, pointing. The elderly man looked up, blinking at the box.

"Eh?" He said, confused, but only for a moment. "Oh, so it is! Thank you again, Miss Falcon… Now how many will you need?"

"Five rolls, please," I answered. He hobbled forward, the rolls of gauze in his hands.

"Right then… That'll be $10.75," Dr. Jeerings said, handing me a plastic bag with the rolls inside as I gave him a twenty. On instinct I opened the bag and counted.

"Uh, you gave me eight rolls," I told him, confused.

"Did I?" Dr. Jeerings said in feigned confusion. "Well, guess you can just keep the extra."

I smile slightly as he gave me back my change and starts away, muttering to himself. In a lot of ways, Dr. Jeerings reminded me of my grandpa, who'd passed away three years ago. A little clumsy and absent minded, but a good man at heart.

That thought had words spilling from my mouth before I could stop them.

"I can help out more if you want," I told him. The old man stopped, blinking owlishly at me.

"Eh?" Dr. Jeerings said.

"You said you need more help around here. I can use a part-time job," I told him sincerely. "I won't mind working for minimum wage or anything either, and I'm very trainable," I don't know what'd possessed me to say this. I'd never worked an actual job a day in my life.

"Well…" Dr. Jeerings hesitated, then smiled. "…I guess I could use an extra pair of hands around here. When can you start?"

"When do you want me?" I asked. Dr. Jeerings laughed.

"Let's start with weekends and work out the rest after that," He suggested. "You can start this Friday. I'll have a nametag for you when you come in, and no uniforms are required. Here's your application, just fill it out and bring it back to me tomorrow." I brightened at that. Finally, an excuse to wear my own clothes!

Now that I thought about it, this probably was a good idea after all. Matt had assured me my tuition was covered, but it would be nice to have some extra cash to fall back on if I was in a jam. My last allowance wouldn't last forever, after all…

"Thanks!" I said, leaving the office.

I smiled after I'd left, wondering where to go next. I still had over $80 left, and I'd eaten my fair share at lunch so it wasn't like I was hungry…

"I'm telling you, Star, I saw THE cutest gown in Madame Rosalie's Shop!" I felt my smile (and not to mention my stomach,) drop at the oh-so-annoying and all-too-familiar voice. "I'm gonna look so beautiful dancing in it with Phantom!" Insert loud giggling here… "A famous, strong superhero boyfriend and a gorgeous outfit! All the other girls are gonna be _sooo_ jealous!"

God, you have no idea how much I want to vomit right now…

Just then someone knocked into me, making me lose my balance.

"Urg! Watch where you're going!" Paulina snapped, turning to glare at me. It turned into a look of disgust when she took in my appearance. "Great, a Goth geek. Star, remind me to burn these clothes when I get back to the dorm, they've been tainted." I glowered at her.

"Oh, that's funny," I said sarcastically. "The petty little conformist thinks I'M the taint on society," That was probably a little mean, but I honestly didn't care. I couldn't STAND Paulina. She was such a little-!

_BOOM!_

Paulina and I froze as something in the Fast Food Joint not too far behind me exploded, leaving customers screaming and running for their lives.

"GHOSTS!" one of them yelled, stopping in front of us. "Run for your lives! It's Phantom and an undead cafeteria lady!" And, with one last scream, he was off again.

"Phantom?" Paulina said in a hero-worshipy voice I'd never heard her use before, assuming a traditional fan-girl pose as her eyes glittered. "Star! Let's- Star?" The Latino girl blinked around, just noticing that her friend had high-tailed it out of there with the guy that'd warned us to leave.

"Okay, you need help," I scoffed at Paulina, turning back to the fast food place (Nasty Burger….ew, who names a restraint _Nasty_?) I frowned when I heard something coming from the inside of the building. It wasn't the blasting or the other battle sounds, either. It sounded more like… "Crying?"

"What?" Paulina said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"There's a kid stuck in there!" I realized, horrified. And, without another thought on the matter, I dashed inside to help.

In front of me Phantom was indeed locked in battle with a glowing green lunch lady. He seemed to be winning, though, so I didn't pay too much more attention to them except to shudder when I noticed the lunch lady person was using meat as her main weapon.

Okay, way gross. I just had to shudder at that.

It took me about ten seconds to find the kid whimpering in a corner, looking ready to cry. Pursing my lips in determination, I started over to him.

_BOOM!_

I yelped and hit the floor as stray burger patties came close to nailing me in the temple. A little shaken but still hell-bound to help, I crawled the rest of the way over to the boy.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice soft enough that the ghosts couldn't hear me and loud enough so the boy could.

"I want my mom!" The boy wailed, clutching my shirt in a desperate attempt to be closer to someone who could help him.

"It's okay," I told him, doing my best to sound confident. "I'll get you out of here and we'll find her. It's gonna be okay…" The boy's wailed died into sniffles as I reassured him, and his death grip on my shirt relaxed. Seeing that he'd calmed down enough for me to get him out, I smiled at him, "Now, I need you to hold onto my hand, okay?" I told him. "We'll run to the doors and the ghosts won't even notice us."

"O-okay," The kid stammered, gripping my hand tightly. I watched carefully as the two ghosts fought, waiting for out chance to get away. Phantom blasted the ghost a few times before she struck out at him with a link of sausages, tying him up.

"NOW!" I yelled, pulling the boy to the door. We ran as fast as we could until the kid stumbled over the leg of a fallen chair, pulling both of us down with a yell. I groaned in pain and looked up frantically, finding the lunch lady ghost standing right in front of me. I stiffened, hugging the boy closer protectively. She glared down at us…

…and suddenly, her glare turned into a grandmotherly smile.

"Would you dears like a hamburger?" She asked sweetly. I blinked, feeling numb. Still in shock, I shook my head no. The ghost frowned slightly, then turned into a fearsome enraged creature. _**"THEN PERISH!" **_She roared. The boy and I screamed, hugging each other close.

"Leave them alone!" Phantom said protectively, breaking free from the sausages and hitting the ghost with a beautiful right hook. Then as she lay slumped against the wall, Phantom took out… was that a soup Thermos?

I barely had mind to be properly confused when Phantom used abovementioned Thermos to suck the Lunch Lady ghost into a swirling blue vortex, capping it with a satisfied look on his face. Then, with that taken care of, he turned to us.

"You two okay?" He asked.

"Getting there," I admitted, still a little stunned.

"Thanks," The boy said softly. I couldn't tell if he was talking to me, Phantom or both of us, though.

"Eric?" Someone from the outside called out. I looked out the window to see the police holding back a frantic looking middle-aged woman.

"MOM!" The boy I'd tried to save yelled happily, leaping from my arms and running to his mother. I smiled at the tender sight until I saw something else outside.

News Cameras. LOTS of News Cameras.

"I can't go out there," I said, Edging out of sight and plastering myself against a wall. Phantom gave me a bewildered look.

"Why not?" He asked curiously.

"I… I just can't!" I answered. If they got me on film, they'd recognize me. I mean, it's not every day that a runaway appears…

Phantom frowned, looking at me, then outside to the crowd and back again.

Then he held out a gloved hand.

"It's okay," He assured me when I looked at him; "I won't let them see you. You can trust me," Could I? That was the question. My heart hammered in my chest as I contemplated my choices.

Taking a deep breath, I put my hand into Phantom's.

He pulled me in so that he had one hand hugging my waist in a powerful grip, then I felt a strange tingly feeling go through me, and next thing I knew my feet were off the ground as Phantom took me into the air with him.

We went right through the walls of the Nasty Burger, which was almost as strange a sensation as being invisible. Like Phantom promised, no one saw out escape though I did notice Paulina still hovering around excitedly outside.

As soon as the crowd faded from sight and we were high above the earth, Phantom turned us visible again, eliminating the strange feeling and allowing me to enjoy the way the wind felt against my face at this altitude, and the way I didn't feel at all afraid being up so high with only Phantom's powerful grip on my waist keeping me airborne…

"Is there anywhere particular you want me to set you down?" Phantom asked, looking down at me with a gentle smile. I couldn't help but blush.

"Anywhere's fine," I told him nervously. Phantom nodded thoughtfully and landed in a clearing in a small wooded area, letting go of my waist. I felt a little disappointed about this. Being held close to Phantom was admittedly exhilarating. I could definitely see why Paulina was so fixated with him…

"I should probably go now," Phantom said with that same soft smile. That reminded me again of how lonely he'd looked in the forest. For the countless time that day, I felt my body and mouth take off without me as I reached forward and grabbed his arm, a little surprised at how cold he felt through the black spandex material.

"Phantom," I said. "If you ever want to talk to someone, I'm willing to listen," The ghost boy looked surprised for a moment, then amused making me feel a little stupid.

"Why do you think I need someone to talk to?" He asked.

"You just look… lonely is all," I said, hoping I wasn't offending him.

"I've got friends," He said in a defensive tone. Yep, he was offended alright…

"It's not that," I said quickly, "I never said that it's just that I want to help you like you helped me just now." I took a deep breath. "I want to give you something, and the only thing I have to give you is my attention and advice." Phantom gave me a long, searching look at that. Then he smiled and put his hand gently over mine, which was still clinging to his sleeve.

"I'll keep that in mind," He said softly, looking into my eyes. My insides when numb and a part of me wondered how I could've ever found his touch cold in any way. As I was wondering this, the ghost slipped away, flying silently off into the sky…

I was still in a semi state of shock four hours later as I stared up at my ceiling, Phantom's green eyes and smile flashing haunting my thoughts every time I closed my eyes. For once I was glad that Danny wasn't in yet, as it gave me time to think.

I hadn't had a proper conversation with him as either Samuel or Samantha, yet I already felt a deep connection to the ghost, like we'd met before. I wanted to know him so badly, to help him any way I could. That was pretty much all I was sure about, though.

Everything else was a confusing muddle. The feelings I felt around Phantom, my crush on Danny… They had me feeling a little confused and guilty. It was a little too much to take. I mean, before Casper I barely gave guys a second glance, now I had two guys I liked, one of which thought I was a guy and the other who probably figured I was some crazy reckless idiot he should humor.

I moan and buried my face into the pillow. God my head hurt…

I looked up when I heard the door open, my bedroom door opened wide enough for me to see Danny coming in. Instead of looking tired and harassed like usual, though, he looked deep in thought.

So deep in thought, in fact, that he miss judged the distance to the coffee table that'd been in the middle of the room since we first moved in.

"Oof!"

"Danny?" I said in concern, getting up, "You okay?"

"Fine," Danny sighed. "I was just thinking too much for once in my life, I guess…" I smiled at that.

_That's my Danny…_

I banished that thought as soon as I deciphered it, keeping a blush from my cheeks.

"That bad?" I asked teasingly. "Wow. Remind me not to let you study at Tucker's all night ever again… Speaking of which, you've really got to teach me how to avoid the Dorm Monitors and Lancer. If you can manage it from Lala Land, you must be a true King of Sneaking Out." Danny shook his head, smiling slightly.

"It wasn't my studies." He protested. "I was thinking about… something else." Okay, that caught my curiosity.

"What?" I asked. Danny blushed.

"Forget it," He said. "You'll just laugh at me," I rolled my eyes.

"I won't laugh," I promised. "Now what's the problem?"

"Not a problem," Danny protested at once. "More like a puzzle." I raised an eyebrow at that one.

"Okay, that totally makes no sense whatsoever," I said matter-of-factly. Danny laughed.

"I've gotta get to bed," He said, standing up, "Night, Sam."

"Oh, come on, Danny!" I groaned. "Can't you tell me anything else about this puzzle of yours?" Danny hesitated at his door.

"Well…" He said, his eyes getting a far away look as he smiled, "…I guess one more little secret can't hurt." I leaned forward, eager to hear what was so great about this puzzle. "That puzzle of mine?" He repeated, smiling. "It's a girl. A very brave and caring girl."

And with that, he went into his room, oblivious to my heart shattering as he closed his door…


	6. Chapter 6

"Wow, Danny, I didn't even know it was possible for a human to have the attention span of a goldfish…" I said in dry humor, smirking over the top of my book at my roommate. I hid my delight as he blushed profoundly at that.

"Sorry, Sam," he sighed. "I was just… thinking," My amusement faded.

"About that girl again?" I asked in a bored tone, concealing my jealousy flawlessly. Really, it's harder then it seems.

"Yeah," Danny sighed again. "I just… she wasn't like any girl I met before! I want to see her again,"

"Do you have her number?" I asked.

"…No…" Danny said, cringing.

"E-mail?" I pressed.

"…No…" the cringing became more pronounced.

"Address?" More cringing and not even a verbal answer this time, and I moaned in mourning of the death of my roommate's common sense. "Tell me you at least got her name?"

"I wasn't in a position to ask!" He cried defensively.

"Oh?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "And what was going on that was so vital you couldn't ask for her name?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Danny promised, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, I probably would," I said, a little colder then I intended. "It's just that you don't seem to trust me with whatever it is that's going on in your life." Danny flinched guiltily at that.

"No!" He said quickly. Then he sighed once more, and continued, "It's not that, Sam, it's just… What I'm involved in is dangerous. Very dangerous. And I don't want to drag you in and put your life at risk if I can help it." I frowned.

"It's that dangerous?" I asked softly.

"I don't even like Tuck or my sister being too mixed up in my life," Danny frowned, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't get you at all, Danny," I said, rolling my eyes. "If this is really so dangerous, why don't you just walk away?" Danny frowned at me.

"Because," He said firmly. "It's something someone has to do, and I'm the only one who has what it takes to make a difference." Suddenly Danny shivered slightly, and without warning he jumped up and headed for the door, "I'm gonna go see Tuck for a bit…"

"Danny-!"

_SLAM!_

I cringed and then sighed, suddenly feeling very guilty. Why didn't I just follow Mr. Marchez's advice and leave Danny alone? All I figured out was that he was trying to protect me by not letting me in on his secret, which was a lot more then I could say about mine.

Sighing, I glanced around the room for a bit before Danny's laptop caught my eye yet again. I hesitated, I'd just gotten into a (sort of) fight with him, after all, but the urge to speak with Tina was too strong to ignore, so ten minutes later I was logged onto DOOMED yet again.

**Iycee-** _SAM!_

**Chaos-** _Hey, Tina. _

**Gem- **_Wow, we were starting to think you died or something…_

I grinned at that. I honestly couldn't help it.

**Chaos-** _Almost. Where are Victor and Lisa?_

**Iycee-** _Victor got forced into a new activity by his mom. Violin, I think… and Lisa should be along any minute now._

**Gem- **_So? Details!_

**Chaos-** _About what?_

**Gem- **_About your boyfriend! Are things working out between you two? And what about this guy roommate you mention? Is he hot? How on earth did someone like you get a guy roomie?_

…What was that supposed to mean?

**Chaos- **_My roommate is the guy I have a crush on, Megan. And for your information, he's nowhere near interested._

**Gem- **_Is he gay?_

**Chaos-**_ What?_

**Gem- **_So? As long as he isn't gay, there's still a chance you to can get together._

**Chaos- **_He likes someone else, Megan!_

**Gem- **_I repeat; So? The art of seduction is a contest, sweetheart. Survival of the fittest._

I rolled my eyes at that. Survival of the fittest? God…

**Chaos-**_ I think I'd rather be happier for him when he's with a girl he genuinely likes then I would be tricking him into being my boyfriend._

**Gem-** _God, that's so WEAK!_

**Iycee-**_ Live with it, Meg. So crush and roomie are one in the same, huh? Yummy…_

**Chaos- **_'rolls eyes' You've been spending way too much time around Victor, Tina…_

**Iycee-** _Don't I know it._

_(__**GerbilGal**__ has logged in,)_

**GerbilGal- **_**SAMMY!**_

Another cringe on my part, this time accompanied with a groan.

**Chaos-** _You're doing that on purpose now, aren't you?_

**Gem-** _What, no warm welcomes for us?_

**GerbilGal-** _I see you two and Victor every day, Meg._

**Iycee- **_No reason to sound so enthralled by that…_

I laughed, happy we were back to our normal banter and teasing.

**GerbilGal-**_ 'pouting' Fine! Hello, Meggy-Weggy! Hello Tin-Tin!_

**Iycee- **_'cringing' On second thought, I preferred being ignored…_

**Gem- **_Ditto._

**GerbilGal-** _So? How's everything without us, Sam?_

I contemplated this for a moment, then decided to answer honestly.

**Chaos-** _Dangerous._

**Iycee- **_Dangerous how?_

**Chaos-** _Do you guys believe in ghosts?_

**Gem- **_That's a joke, right?_

**GerbilGal-** _0.0 You were attacked by ghosts? Are you alright?_

**Gem-** _Lisa, she's just messing with us. Ghosts don't exist!_

**Iycee-** _Yes they do. One nearly killed me about a year ago, but my cousin saved me. He said they deal with them in his school all the time._

**GerbilGal-** _Is that where you're going to school, Sam?_

**Iycee-** _Of course not, Lisa. Tuck goes to Casper High, an all-boys school._

**Gem-** _Are you in Wendy? I'd KILL to be in Wendy!_

**Iycee-** _Wendy's an all-girls school. her roomie's a guy, remember?_

**Gem-** _…oh…_

I cringed, this topic was getting WAY to close for comfort.

**Chaos-** _You know what? Never mind. I've gotta_

"Oops!" I felt my eyes go wide as I accidentally hit a wrong key and a small window reading UPLOADING FILE popped up. It finished before I could cancel it, and I found myself staring at a picture of a reluctant looking Danny in front of a swirling green vortex, a white and black cloth folded over his arm.

**Gem- **_**HELLO HOTTIE!**_

**GerbilGal- **_He CUTE! Is that the guy you were talking about, Sammy?_

**Iycee-** _Hey, he does look familiar…_

I cringed, feeling very stupid and clumsy.

**Chaos- **_Never mind, I put it up on accident, just forget it, okay? I've got to go…_

I logged out before anyone else could say anything, wanting to avoid any more question. As I turned off Danny's computer, I fought the nagging feeling that I'd seen that cloth in his hands before. It was none of my business, and I'd pried enough as it was.

I sighed, trying to think of what else I could do. Coming to a decision, I picked up the phone and dialed Tucker's number.

"Tucker and Kwan's room, Tucker speaking," My best friend's cousin said in a bored tone.

"Tuck? Its Sam," I said. "Is Danny still there?"

"Sam?"Tucker repeated, sounding confused, "**Danny**? But Danny was never-!" Tucker paused and I frowned in concern.

"Tucker?"

"Ah, yeah!" Tucker said quickly, "As I was saying, Danny was never very good at staying still too long. He already left,"

"Really?" I frowned at a clock, subtracting the time it would take my roommate to walk to Dorm 2 from Dorm 13. "You mean he was only there for like, fifteen minutes?"

"W-What can I say, the guy likes to move," Tucker laughed nervously_,_ "Don't worry, he should come right back after dealing with the gho-!" Tucker paused again. "You know what? I'm just gonna stop talking now…" and before I could protest, Tucker hung up.

"Weird…" I muttered, replacing the receiver. I frowned. What was I supposed to do NOW?

After trying to thing of something for a few minutes, I finally decided to drop in on Nate. He lived in Dorm 10, so it wasn't much of a walk, and I still had an hour until lights out…

Shrugging a coat on, I made my way out of the dorm, nodding to Mr. Folupa as I passed him. It didn't take me long to get outside, as the dorm halls were empty except for a small group of boys who seemed to be in the middle of a bet involving eggs, women's lingerie and lots and lots of makeup, silly string and spray paint.

One look told me to keep from getting involved.

I smiled slightly as I stepped out into the fresh air, with no sounds other then the crickets chirping softly in some nearby bushes. I had to admit, I could see why Danny would linger on the campus after hours. It was so much more peaceful at night when you had it all to yourself.

"MANSON!" Before I could react, a hard, blunt object hit me in the back of the head, knocking me down and making me see stars. I groaned and shook the pain off, turning to see Dash and some of his football cronies laughing hysterically.

"Good one, Dash!" One chuckled loudly.

"Why is it that you can count the exact number of brain cells 9 out of 10 jocks have on one hand?" I asked before I could stop myself, glowering at the group. They went silent, there faces darkening.

…_Well, crap…_

"Say that again, pipsqueak," Dash growled angrily, grabbing me by the front of my uniform and lifting me off my feet.

"What, you've got bad hearing, too?" I asked, kicking myself in the back of my head all the while. You think a girl would learn…

"That's it!" Dash snapped, brandishing a fist. "Say your prayers, Manson!" I cringe and brace myself for another painful blow from the jock, knowing that this time Danny wasn't here to save me…

"What the-?" Dash stopped as his friends began yelping and grabbing different parts of their bodies.

"Hey, who kicked me?" A big guy with orange hair demanded.

"And someone smacked my head!" Another yelled.

"It's a ghost!" One of the smaller ones said, paling slightly.

"Stop screwing around guys," Dash snorted. "There's no-!" He stopped dead as his entire body began to glow green and, before he could react, a sharp jerk brought his pants around his waist. "GHOOOOOST!" He wailed, trying to run away and pull his pants up at the same time.

"Told you we were too close to Dorm 13!" One of the football players yelled at Dash as they all started to head for home.

"Shut up and keep moving!" Dash yelled back. I blinked after them in surprise, jumping when I heard laugher on my right.

"That was actually pretty fun…" An amused voice said lightly. Moments later, Phantom appeared before my eyes, hovering three inches off the ground, "You okay?" It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me.

"Fine," I answered, blinking. "Uh… Thanks?"

"It's nothing," Phantom replied with a grin. "Actually, I had an unfair advantage, given that they couldn't see or touch me. Still, being able to pants Dash without getting mauled is something half the school would trade an arm to do,"

"Wonder why…" I said dryly. "Anyways, thanks again. This is the third time you've saved me since I moved here." Danny stiffened.

"Third?" He repeated. I froze when I realized that one of those times I'd been Samantha.

"Sorry, I meant second," I said quickly, hoping my mistake wasn't too big. "Just miscounted was all…" I laughed nervously, and Phantom still looked a little tense, though he did start to relax slightly.

"Well, I'd better go before Dash goes crying to Lancer and he turns the Ghost shield on," Phantom said, flying higher, "Later!" and without waiting for a reply, the ghost disappeared.

"That'll be $8.55," I told the customer, handing her the plastic bag and accepting the money she gave me. "Thank you, and have a nice day!" I sighed as the lady left with her purchase, grabbing a broom and starting to sweep as the bell chimed at her exit.

"How are you fairing, Miss Falcon?" Dr. Jeerings asked with a warm smile.

"Pretty good," I said, smiling back.

"Good to hear!" He said. "I'm afraid I have to pay a house call to Mrs. Jacobs. Can you keep things going smoothly here while I'm gone?"

"Yes, sir," I answered.

"Oh, and if anyone comes in here asking for prescription medicine, tell them I'll be back in about twenty minutes." Dr. Jeerings added as he left.

"Will do," I called after him. I sigh after he left, smiling wryly to myself.

It had been three days since Phantom had saved me from Dash, who thankfully kept a good distance from me since then. I found out pretty fast that I liked working. It kept my mind off of other things, like my cute roommate and the superhero ghost that was always saving my life. And considering that I still had yet to figure out how I was gonna handle all of this, that was definitely a good thing for now.

Part of me said the reasonable thing to do was support Danny as he went after the girl of his dreams and maybe pursue Phantom. Ghost or not, he was still a guy, right? And like Danny, he seemed to be everything I wanted. Nice, smart, funny, caring, brave…

Come to think of it, Phantom and Danny have a lot of similarities… They even look a little alike. Maybe they were related or something…

As I contemplated this, the bell at the door chimed and I caught the footfall of someone entering. Shaking myself out of my daydreams, I turned to meet the customer.

"Hello, Welcome to Yin/Yang Medical Practice, how can I… help…" I trailed off, my eyes widening at the sight of none other then Danny Fenton himself. Confused, my roommate turned to see what my problem was and his own eyes widened when they met mine.

"YOU!"

…_Eh?_


	7. Chapter 7

"Do I know you?" I asked carefully, cursing my body for betraying my nervousness in small ways. If my hands didn't stop shaking soon…

"Yeah…" Danny said. Then, his eyes widening, he quickly added, "I mean no! I mean uhh…" I can't help but smile as my roomie shifts nervously from foot to foot. "…I was at the Nasty Burger yesterday. I saw you save that kid." I felt my eyes widen at that, and my blue eyed companion quickly added, "Don't worry; I'm pretty sure I was the only one who saw you!"

"Uhh, Thanks?" I said, uncertain of what else to say. I think Danny was expecting more, since his face fell slightly, so I couldn't help but add, "And could you not tell anyone else about that?" To my surprise, Danny smiled slightly.

"Don't want anyone to know you go around battling ghosts in your free time?" He asked playfully.

…_Is he flirting with me? _I wondered, my cheeks heating up as I met his smile with a grin of my own.

Hey, far be it from me to disappoint the guy, right?

"Of course not," I quipped. "You know how that sort of thing kills a social life," Danny bellowed with laugher.

"You have NO idea…" He chuckled, grinning at me. He hesitated a moment longer before heading over to pile things into a basket. Hiding a blush, I made my way back to the cash register, the floors all but forgotten.

It didn't take Danny long to finish, though his basket was full when he came up to the register to pay. Apparently, he knew his way around the Pharmacy much better then I did…

"Anyways…" He paused for a moment as I began to ring him up, his eyes shifting down to read my nametag. "Samantha? Wow, THAT'S a weird coincidence. My roomie's name is Sam…" Flinch on my part here as I put away the fifth roll of gauze. (Why he was buying so many was anyone's guess…) Luckily, Danny was so busy mulling over this 'coincidence,' he never even noticed.

"Yeah, you know how some names are nowadays," I said in a casual tone, "There's four Sams' at the school I go to now, and don't get me started on how many Samanthas' there are."

"Guess so…" Danny said, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "What do you prefer?"

"Sam," I answered at once. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, "Of course, if it gets too confusing for you-!"

"Relax," Danny chuckled. "He'll just be my friend Sam, and you'll be the pretty Sam," You know it can't be healthy for someone's face to get as hot as mine is right now… "Anyways, my art teacher told me before that life's nothing without confusion. It's what keeps us awake."

…_Good old Mr. Marchez… _I grinned, recognizing the quote as something he'd say. Something told me it's been edited a bit, though…

"So, you're an art student, huh?" I asked innocently. "Any good?"

"I can only hope," Danny replied, shaking his head, "Then again, it seems to be against some unwritten code of the cosmos for an artist to find perfection in their work, even when others see it." I laughed.

"All too true…" I agreed. "So what brings a fit young kid like you to a place like this on a weekend buying enough stuff to take care of a small army of wounded soldiers?"

Danny flinched slightly as I eyed his three plastic bags, filled with 6 rolls of gauze, 7 boxes of Band-Aids, 3 bottles of rubbing alcohol, and a ton of other odds and ends, most of which I'd never heard of in my life. I knew for a fact that our bathroom was nowhere near this stocked.

"Let's just say I'm not always fit and keep it simple for both of us," He responded. "I'm in here pretty much every week, sometimes more. Speaking of which, I've never seen you face around before… other then at the Nasty Burger thing, I mean."

"I just moved here at the beginning of the school year," I said casually. "And I just started working here today. I don't get out much… That's $98.75."

"Do you go to Wendy?" Danny asked, cocking his head cutely as he handed me his money. I smacked back a sudden urge to randomly hug him.

"No," I answered, turning away to busy myself with the cash register as I answered. "I go to Stretch Academy," I knew that was the name of another local private school, less renown then the Casper district, but thankfully Co-ed with no uniforms. "And you're a Casper boy, huh?"

Danny flinched, glancing down at his uniform. As much as I hated the concept of uniforms, since they rob people of their dignity as individuals, I had to admit Danny looked really cute in his…

_Easy, girl, take it slow, _I reminded myself as I handed Danny his change,_ we don't want him thinking we're an obsessive, creepy stalker type that spies on him in the shower._

…The fact that I'd already seen him getting out of the shower aside, of course…

"Ah, yeah," He admitted in a tense sort of voice as he took his money. "But my legal guardian wants me to be home schooled."

"That doesn't sound so bad," I said.

"Maybe not to you…" Danny said, a touch of bitterness entering his tone before he sighed it away. "Anyways, we've already paid for the full Casper enrollment, so…" My eyes widened at that.

"You're a full enrollment student?" I said, my voice going up an octave in genuine shock. Danny flinched, belatedly realizing his slip.

Full enrollment was a whole package deal, meaning Danny's parents had already paid for his entire schooling, from preschool to senior year.

In college.

It got you a lot of neat extras, like the chance to choose your classes months before anyone else, first pick on anything new that came to the school and a freer reign on what you did on school grounds. However, it was also _'extremely expensive'_ in MY parents eyes, meaning you probably had to stop just short of selling your soul to get it.

"Uh, yes?" Danny said meekly, giving me a sheepish smile.

"You're not one of those rich playboys, are you?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but any respectable girl with an ounce of pride would've asked, and anyways I was wondering what else he wasn't telling Samuel…

"No!" Danny said hastily. "No, I'm nothing like that! I'm just a normal kid who got dragged into a rich guy's life."

"And the rich guy is…?"

"Do you always ask complete strangers this many questions?" I flinched as his eyes hardened, realizing that I was toeing the line.

"Sorry." I said. "You don't have to answer that, I was just… trying to make conversation!" I laughed nervously, kicking myself for how lame that sounded. My first chance to talk to Danny as a girl, and he was probably gonna leave thinking I was a nosey Gothic moron.

"Really?" Danny smiled, his eyes softening again into an amused look. "Well, I'm not much for talking, but I'm a pretty good listener. You want me to tell you so much about myself, I need to know more about you," I smiled back at the boy.

"Fair enough," I acknowledged. "Ask me any question."

"Why are you working here?" Danny started off, crossing his arms and fixing me with a smug smile.

"I felt a little sorry for Dr. Jeerings." I admitted. "And anyways, I figured I could use a little extra money now and then…"

"Why did you save that kid yesterday?" Danny asked.

"Instinct, I guess," I shrugged it off. "I didn't want to sit around and do nothing while a little kid was in danger." Not that I was any help whatsoever…

"And Phantom? Why did you go with him?"

"I dunno," I sighed. "I just got the feeling I could trust him. I'm a pretty good judge of character,"

"Really?" Danny said, grinning, "What did you think of Phantom?" I couldn't stop the blush from rising in my cheeks as the ghost's vivid green eyes flashed in my memory yet again.

"He's… interesting," I answered him vaguely.

"Is that good or bad?" Danny asked, blinking.

"Figure it out for yourself," I answered with a playful grin. Danny laughed.

"Well, do you like him?" Danny asked, crossing his arms.

"I think he's an honest, loyal guy who needs a few trustworthy friends," Sam answered, "Other then that, I couldn't say. I've only met him once."

"Maybe," Danny said, sounding amused.

"Maybe?" I repeated, placing a hand on my hip and giving Danny a pointed look. Seeing I wanted him to elaborate on that, he met it with the same I-Know-Something-And-You-Don't smile Jazz had given my brother before I'd enrolled into Casper. Who knew something like that was genetic…

"For all you know, Phantom could have loyal and trustworthy friends," Danny told me, "Maybe only a handful, but more then enough to keep him safe and happy. Maybe he's looking for something different… something he sees in you that he's never seen in anyone else…" My cheeks when red again at what my roommate was implying. Phantom, interested in me? When Queen of Popularity Paulina was out to sink her claws in him?

"Yeah, right," I snorted. "A superhero like that can do way better then me,"

"Well, if he did like you, would you be interested?" Danny asked. "Hypothetically."

"Well _hypothetically_," I repeated, smirking, "I'd have to say that I don't know him well enough to decide something like that,"

_Liar, _A voice snorted in the back of my head, _You'd say yes in a heartbeat. To either him OR Danny…_ I suddenly felt very guilty, but it melted away from confusion when I saw Danny's face. He had this weird look in his eye…

"I see," I said airily.

"Why so interested in my opinion on the ghost-boy, anyways?" I asked curiously. Danny went red.

"No reason!" He said hastily, chuckling nervously "Just… ah… just trying to make conversation!" I shook my head and smiled, wondering how I could have such a huge crush on such a bad lair.

"Well, do you have any more questions?" I asked, "Or is this _conversation_ over?" Danny hesitated.

"Actually, there is once more thing…" He said slowly, shifting from one foot to another. "Ah, look, this may be a little… bold… but see there's a dance coming up soon…" Suddenly Danny gasped sharply, shivering. I blinked in surprise as my roomie groaned. "Not now…"

"What?" I asked, jerking back slightly, belatedly realizing I'd been leaning forward in anticipation.

"Nothing," Danny said hastily, gathering his bags. "I gotta go. See you around, Sam!" and before I could say anything, Danny was out the door.

"Okay," I said scowling. "We need to work on his habit of running out in the middle of a conversation."

"You have no idea, sweetie," A strange voice agreed. I froze.

_Please, please, PLEASE tell me someone came in while I was talking to Danny and I didn't notice…_ I thought, my stomach even as I slowly turned to meet this stranger. I already knew that my luck wasn't that good.

Sure enough, I came face to face with the glowing red eyes of what looked like a grinning green version of a bald Cousin Itt.

_Greeeat…_

For once in my life, I wasn't sure how to react.

I mean, here I was alone in a store with a freaking GHOST and absolutely no way to defend myself. Danny was gone (Not that he probably could've done too much better in the current situation,) so all I could do was pray that this ghost wasn't as evil as he looked.

_Sure he isn't, _My inner sarcasm responded without fail,_ And Tucker's actually the Fairy Queen of France._

"So, you're the kid's newest buddy, huh?" Blobby said, inspecting me. "Hmm… And here I thought he couldn't do worse then his last girlfriend…"

…_**Did he just-? Ooooh-! **_My fear was immediately replaced with blind fury.

"_Ex-__**cuse**__ me?_" I snapped. "And who are you do decide something like that on appearance, huh?" I blinked. "Uh, who are you talking about, anyways?" He couldn't mean Danny, could he? There was no way this ghost knew my roomie!

…Right?

Before the ghost could answer, a black-and white blur nailed him from the side, sending them both through the wall and into the Storage Room, where a loud crashing noise was heard.

Curiosity (And a petty desire to make sure the ghost was hurting for that earlier comment,) quickly won out over good judgment, and a flung the door open to see what was going on inside.

It wasn't much of a surprise to see the increasingly familiar Phantom hovering a good five feet off the ground, watching the green guy as he shook off the surprise attack.

"Bertrand," Phantom said coolly. "I thought you and Spectra went packing after the Fenton Peeler thing." The ghost grinned in response.

"Times change, kiddo," He stated airily. "And plans change with them! Not that you'll figure that out until it's too late…"

"So you just came here to attack me?" Phantom said doubtfully.

"Of course not." Bertrand said, disappearing. Phantom stiffened, prepared for an onslaught. I tensed too, looking frantically to see where the ghost would pop back up when suddenly something jerked me backwards, covering my mouth with I tried to scream. By my left ear, I heard the glowing green ghost call to Phantom. "We just wanted to borrow your little girlfriend for a bit," Phantom jerked around, his eyes widening.

"SAM!" He yelled. Bertrand laughed.

"If you want her back, meet us at the abandoned hospital!" Bertrand called. "Ta!" and just like that, the world began to melt around me in a blur of lights and colors, until everything faded back into sight in a room so dark I couldn't see the nose at the end of my face.

"Oof!" I grunted as the ghost gave me a hard shove onto a cloth covered surface that smelled dusty and diseased.

"That was fast." A strange female voice said, sounding pleased.

"Ah, the kid was a cinch to find," Bertrand responded. I looked up, freezing when I found a black, shadow-like figure with glowing red eyes inches from my face. The ghost frowned slightly, looking irritated.

"I thought you were going to bring his sister or his loser friend with the PDA?" She said coldly. Her glowing green companion shrugged.

"Yeah, but he seems pretty attached to her, too." Bertrand said airily. "And there's less of a chance that SHE has an ecto-gun hidden away anywhere. Or that blasted thermos."

"Hmm, good point," the shadowy ghost said after contemplating this. It was obvious she was in charge of the green ghost, but that didn't tell me anything else about her…

"Okay, who are you?" I demanded, glaring at her. "And will someone tell me what's going ON around here?" the female ghost laughed.

"Oh yes," She smirked. "This is a MUCH better hostage. Much more helpless…" I stiffened glaring at her.

"Who are you calling helpless?" I growled. The ghost grinned.

"Why, you of course," She purred. "It's true after all, isn't it? I mean, how can you, a normal teenage girl, defeat so much as the ghost of a _**fly**_ on your own, let alone a pair of powerful kinetic-based ghosts? Face it, sweetie, you're as helpless as they come," I growled, trying to keep my fear and desperation from showing.

"Even if that's true," I called out. "Phantom can beat a pair of _weaklings_ like you any day! After all, he has once before, hasn't he?" Anger and annoyance flashed in those red eyes for a moment, giving me a flicker of triumph which faded when the ghost started to laugh.

"I'm sorry," She said between chuckles, "It's just… it's so cute! A weak and captive princess waiting for her noble prince, her knight in shining armor. Or in this case, Hazmat… just like in the story books!"

"I'm NOT weak!" I protested heatedly.

"Of course not," The ghost said, smirking. She began to pet my hair in a false show of affection. "That's why you have to rely on the ghost kid. And can you honestly say he's the first person to save you?" My depression became more pronounced, and a part of me knew it was showing but a bigger part of me didn't care anymore. It was like I was suffocating, drowning…

_She's right, _I thought numbly, _I can never save myself… if anything, I just put myself in more danger… Danny, Phantom, Matt, Jazz… No matter what I do, someone else always has to save me from my own stupid mistakes… _I groaned, starting to feel very tired.

"That's right, sweetie…" The ghost said. I barely heard her, my eyes getting heavier and heavier… "Your anger, your doubt, your misery… give it aaaaaaallllll to Spectra…" As she said that, she began to laugh coldly, the sound echoing around us. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out…

When I came to, I wasn't in that Dark, dingy room anymore, but some kind of forest. I opened my eyes to see a clear, star-filled sky, with the silver of moon to light the trees around me.

My heavy eyes were drawn to the shadowy black figure looming overhead. It swooped down, landing on the ground new to me and staring at me with a piercing golden eye…

That was all it took to get me wide awake and panicking ever so slightly.

"It's alright," a voice soothed me. "Spook won't hurt you," I turned, relaxing when I found Phantom lounging in a nearby tree.

"Spook?" I repeated, blinking at the bird. He blinked back before flying silently back to his pasty-faced master. "He's beautiful."

"Isn't he?" Phantom said, a tint of pride coloring his tone. "I found him about a year ago, in these woods. He was half dead thanks to some dumb jock that broke his wing by throwing stones at him." My face darkened at that thought, and Phantom grinned at me, and continued. "Don't worry. I made the jerk pay, believe me," I smiled wryly at that.

"Did you save me again?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. Still, Phantom shrugged, smiling at me.

"Spectra's not that big a deal," He told me casually.

"Do you say that about all the ghosts who attack you?" I asked and Phantom grinned.

"Honestly? No," He chuckled. "There are some that are smarter and stronger then ghosts like Spectra and the Lunch Lady."

"What do those two score on the Ghost Scale?" I asked. Phantom blinked.

"You know about the Ghost Scale?" He asked in confusion. "I though you just moved here,"

"I did," I answered, happy I could be honest for once. "One of my classmates told me about it, and I asked around," Phantom grinned.

"Impressive," He complimented, and then he sighed thoughtfully. "I think Lunch Lady scored a 2.8, since she pretty much only controls meat." I shuddered at that. "Bertrand was a 4.1, a fairly weak shape-shifter and Spectra was a 6.12,"

"Nice to know that she was right about one thing," I said bitterly. Phantom looked alarmed.

"She spoke to you?" He asked sharply. Abandoning Spook, he flew down to my side, and looked my right in the eye. "What did she say?"

"Nothing that wasn't true," I sighed. To my surprise, Phantom grasped my chin in his gloved hand, forcing me to look into his vivid green eyes.

"Listen to me," He said in a serious tone. "Spectra was a psychologist when she was alive, and in death she keeps herself young by feeding off the misery of teenagers. She even tricked me that way at first. Even if you think whatever she told you was true, beating yourself up over it just means that she won," I blinked, taking all of this in. And, in a true 'Sam Moment,' I blurted out the first question his speech brought to my mind.

"Ghosts age?" Phantom's mouth twitched and I could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Some do," He answered. "It depends on how powerful they are. Powerful ghosts stay the age they died at for forever, while weaker ones will age."

"What's the cut off point?" I asked.

"Somewhere around 8.5. Don't change the subject."

"Who's changing the subject?" I asked. "I'm not changing the subject."

"You still haven't told me what she said," Phantom reminded me. I flinched, half-hoping he had forgotten he asked. Phantom must've seen this. "You don't have to tell me if it's super personal, but if you really want me to trust you as someone I can talk to…" I huffed slightly, crossing my arms.

"Fine, fine!" I groaned. Then I got serious. "…She told me I was weak. She said… she said I was always getting in the way, always counting on other people to save me," Phantom frowned.

"You're not weak." He said firmly. I laughed. It came out a bitter sound even to me.

"How do you know?" I asked him. "You don't know me, and we've only spoken what, one time?" Naturally, I wasn't including the two times I met him as Samuel.

"Still, I know you're not weak," Phantom insisted stubbornly. "Actually, I've never seen a girl as strong as you are, that's one of the things that make you so interesting." I blinked.

"One of?" I repeated, smiling slightly as a blush played at my cheeks, "As in there are more things that make me interesting?"

"Of course," Phantom said, grinning. "Your courage, for one. I've never met anyone else who will dive into a ghost infested restaurant to save a kid they've never met,"

"You were the one who did all the real work," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but I have paranormal powers most people would only dream about," Phantom said, sounding slightly bitter. "Of course, when it comes to paying the price it takes for those powers, pretty much all of those people would rather go without 'em," I could most certainly understand that.

"How did you die?" I asked, flinching after the question left my lips. Phantom froze up.

"I'd rather not talk about that," He said softly.

"Right," I shifted around, feeling like a complete jerk. "Sorry."

_Of course he wouldn't want to talk about it, Dunce! _I scolded myself, _Don't you think something like that's a LITTLE personal?_

"Hey, you're probably not the first person to wonder that." Phantom shrugged. "You ARE the first to have the guts to ask, though. Then again, most people scream and run when they see me."

"Paulina wouldn't," I said instantly, wanting to smack myself for bringing her into the conversation.

"Actually, she's the worse," Phantom said, flinching slightly. "It's just that she screams and runs TOWARDS me instead of away. In a way, that's worse, since she can come up out of nowhere and start attacking me like a rabid fan girl." I had to laugh at the mental image that summoned up, making Phantom smile. "You know, you've got a cute laugh," I felt myself go crimson at that, my gaze fixing on the ground.

"Can I just ask you one more question?" I asked the ghost nervously, not meeting his eyes.

"Shoot," Phantom responded.

"Why did that ghost kidnap me, of all people?" I asked. To my surprise, the ghost blushed ever so slightly, shifting uncomfortably.

"…That was my fault," He admitted, guilt coloring his tone. "She kidnapped you because Bertrand thought we have an… 'intimate relationship,' in his own words," I felt color rise in my own cheeks as I realized what the annoying green ghost had been hinting at.

"What could've given him that idea?" I asked nervously. Phantom's blushed deepened.

"Who knows," He said nervously. "Anyways, I understand if you want to take back what you said earlier. About wanting to listen to my problems, I mean,"

"Are you kidding?" I said, surprised. "Why would I do that?"

"Because my enemies have already started targeting you when we can count the number of conversations we've had on one hand," Phantom said as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. "Sam, if I keep talking to you like thins, it'll only get you into more trouble."

"I'll be fine," I told him firmly. "I'm not going to let a screwed up Psychologist and her glowing lackey scare me into a corner, and I still want to be friends with you," I noticed Phantom got a strange look on his face after I said that, but it was gone so fast, I figured I imagined it.

_Besides,_ I added silently, _I'm only Samantha for about eight hours a week, anyways._

"You honestly don't care that ghosts are going to try and attack you because of me?" Phantom asked, staring at me like I'd just said Mr. Lancer was the next Brad Pitt.

"Well, I am kinda mad that I can't protect myself from them," I admitted, "But no matter what Spectra says, I know you'll be there to help if things get out of hand, and I really appreciate that," Phantom smiled broadly at that, looking relieved and hopeful.

"Wow," He laughed, "I never thought any girl would be willing to stay in a ten foot radius of me once ghosts started attacking them for it," I blushed.

"Well the," I said. "I guess I'll have to prove you wrong," Phantom grinned at me.

"You do that," He said, hovering above the ground. "I'd better go…"

"Um, Phantom?" I said, uncertainly as he started away. "I'm working tomorrow. I come in at five," Phantom looked confused for a moment before realization hit him.

"I'll try to swing by," He said, smiling. "But you might wanna call your boss up first and make sure you weren't fired." I froze up at that as Phantom flew away.

…_Well, crap…_

I did call Dr. Jeerings up, and thankfully he wasn't mad at all. Actually, he was surprised I didn't want to quit then and there. Apparently he saw my kidnapping on the security camera when he got back to the store and flipped out. Nothing was stolen while the store was left unlocked and unmanaged, so there was no real harm done.

After repeatedly assuring the doctor that I was alright, I hung up and changed back into my Casper uniform, flinching when I saw what time it was. 'past curfew' didn't even begin to describe it. Hell, even Danny was usually home before it got this late!

Usually.

_Hey, Danny sneaks in unnoticed all the time, _I reminded myself as I slipped back onto campus, _And you're nowhere near as clumsy as he can be when he's nervous! You can probably make it to the Dorm no sweat…_

That thought gave me the courage I needed, and I hastily started towards Dorm 13, using bushes and trees for cover whenever I saw a security guard. My confidence grew as I entered the Dorm, heading upstairs to my apartment, silent and unseen.

_This is easy,'_ I thought to myself, smirking to myself. _No wonder Danny gets away with it so often…_

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" I stopped dead as a flashlight blinded me, my face paling as Mr. Folupa came closer, frowning at me sternly.

…_Crap._


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, Mr. Manson, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mr. Lancer asked sternly.

"Nothing that won't get me expelled," I muttered dryly as I accepted my punishment slip. (Three weeks of detention, and 'Samuel' wasn't allowed to attend the Ball. Real heartbreaker, huh?)

"What was that?" Mr. Lancer asked, frowning at me in confusion.

"Nothing!" I said with a chipper smile, ducking to head back to my room. Okay, maybe sneaking back in WAS harder then it looked. On the other hand, maybe I just had horrible luck. Still, after the lecture Lancer had given me, I wasn't gonna test that any time soon.

"Well here's a face I wasn't expecting," A voice said dryly behind me, making me smile and turn to meet Mr. Marchez's raised eyebrow, "What's your crime, kiddo?"

"Skipping curfew," I answered. Taking in his arms, which were loaded with boxes, I added, "You?"

"I gotta reorganize the filing cabinet," Mr. Marchez answered, making a face. "You think Mrs. Gretchen could take a joke…" I laughed a little, grinning up at my teacher.

"Can I help?" I asked. "I'm pretty good with that sort of stuff, and anyways I'm not tired."

"Insomniac, huh?" Mr. Marchez grinned, "Well, I could use a hand… just don't go telling Lancer on me,"

"Deal!" I laughed.

Taking some of the boxes that Mr. Marchez couldn't carry, I followed my art teacher into his office. It wasn't a long trip, but one of the boxes was particularly heavy for some reason, which made it feel longer then it was.

I was happy that I'd run into Mr. Marchez again alone, since talking to him always seemed to make me feel better and it was awkward to talk when other people were around. I mean, everyone else I met at Casper was great, but Mr. Marchez was the only teacher I felt close to. And the fact that he didn't act like a teacher was supposed to was an added bonus.

"So, kid," Mr. Marchez grunted as he set his boxes down. "Why were you sneakin' around after curfew?" I stiffened at the question.

"…Uh…" Mr. Marchez sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I get it," He said, not sounding all that bothered. "How's Dan holding up nowadays?"

"What?" I asked, confused. at the abrupt shift of topics

"He's been pretty bugged about something lately." Mr. Marchez explained. You can always tell. Kid reads like a book."

"Well, I can't think of-" I stopped when it suddenly hit me, groaning slightly. "Oh, you mean his crush,"

"Crush?" Mr. Marchez repeated, sounding faintly amused.

"Yeah," I sighed. "A few days ago he met this girl and he seems to have it pretty bad for her." Mr. Marchez's amusement increased.

"Ya know, Sam," He said, fighting a grin, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sounded jealous…" I felt myself freeze up at that.

"What? Me? Jealous?" I laughed shrilly,\. "No! Why would I be jealous?"

"You tell me, Kiddo," Mr. Marchez responded, opening a box.

"…W-well, maybe I'm a little upset about losing a friend," I admitted, desperate for an excuse. "I mean, you know how girls get. Once a guy starts dating them, they become their lackeys!"

_Where am I getting this?_ I thought as I fake laughed again.

"True enough," Mr. Marchez shrugged. "But you know there's still that other one, Tucker. And your pal Nate. An impending apocalypse is more likely then him getting much more then a date with his attitude." I had to laugh at that, admitting a ring of truth behind his words.

"Yeah, but I'm closer to Danny then I am to them," I said. Mr. Marchez shrugged.

"It's your choice, kid," He said casually. "By the way, do you know the gal he's got the hots for?"

"No," I sighed. "He doesn't even know,"

"Then why make a big deal outta it?" Mr. Marchez asked. "There's no guarantee she'll like 'em back, you know."

"Why wouldn't she?" I asked automatically. Realizing my error, I quickly added, "I-I mean, he's nice, he's rich and he's not too bad looking," Understatement of the year, "That's what most girls look for, right?"

"Yeah," Mr. Marchez grinned. "But Danny doesn't tell girls he's rich. And he turns into a stammering mess every time a girl he likes so much as smiles at him," So? What was wrong with that? I thought it was cute… "Besides, what makes you think that Danny ain't interested in girls who want more then that?"

"You mean shallow airheads like Paulina?" I asked dryly, cringing at the jealousy that worked into my tone.

"Not exactly," Mr. Marchez said, grinning slightly. "Dan needs a girl who's stronger then Sanchez. A girl with her fair share of pride, but not enough to blind her to his needs. Someone who likes it when things are bizarre, since that's pretty much the norm in the life of any Fenton if half of what I've heard is true. He needs a girl with a fighter's heart, someone who can help him be strong when he's ready to give up." I started at Mr. Marchez.

_Is it just me, or does that sound a little familiar? _ I asked myself, puzzled. I couldn't remember, though, so gave up, turning back to the conversation at hand.

"You've given this thought…" I told Mr. Marchez, amused. The art teacher shrugged.

"My mother was an 'unprofessional matchmaker,'" He explained, rolling his eyes "So's my little sister. And I think my niece is gonna get into the family art now, too..."

"Niece?" I asked.

"Yeah, Liz. She's friends with Dan's sister, I think…" Mr. Marchez explained, not seeing my jaw drop. "Funny thing, too, she can't see her perfect match right in front of her…" I barely heard him, too shocked.

_**Liz was Mr. Marchez's niece?**_

Getting over my shock, I couldn't help but grin. Now that I thought about it, that explained a lot about Liz's personality. And knowing this made me even more determined to get her and Matt together.

I mean, being related to her was great enough, but could you imagine the look on Mom's face when she met Mr. Marchez? And Dad!

Biting back a giggle, I turned to open one of the heavier boxes from earlier, deciding to start getting my work done.

"_**BEWARE!"**_

I gasped in surprise as a weird blue ghost in overalls flew out of the box I had just opened. Not because he looked particularly threatening, but because he's scared me half to death, popping out of nowhere like that.

_Isn't he the guy in Danny's sketches?_ I thought, confused.

"_**HAHA! NOW YOU SHALL ALL SUCCUMB TO THE AWESOME CUBICAL POWERS OF THE MIGHTY BOX GHOST, AND ALL HIS AWESOME SQUARENESS!"**_ The ghost proclaimed loudly.

"You're square alright, pal," Mr. Marchez grunted, not even looking up from his work.

Before the ghost could defend himself, a familiar ghost phased through the wall. He looked faintly annoyed at the sight of the blue overall-ed ghost, and not all that intimidated.

"You again?" He asked dryly.

"Uh-oh," The ghost said under his breath. Then he straightened himself up again. "…BEWARE!" And, without another word, the Box Ghost took off through the wall, and Phantom's annoyed, unimpressed look was replaced with an annoyed scowl.

"Hey! Get back here!" And, without a glace at me or Mr. Marchez, the snowy-haired ghost flew after the much less impressive undead spirit.

The room lapsed into complete silence for a minute.

"You know a Marcus Hamilton?" Mr. Marchez asked, looking up from his files.

"No clue," I responded, turning back to the box the ghost had jumped out of.

It's kind of sad when a person's reaction to ghosts becomes scarier then ghosts themselves…

"I'm being serious, you jerk!" I said between laughs.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Phantom asked, grinning.

"You honestly expect me to believe ghosts live in an infinite realm filled with floating doors?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, I wasn't born yesterday!" Phantom's grin only widened.

Shaking my head, I jumped up to sit on the counter, knocking the heels of my favorite pair of combat boots against the wooden framework. Dr. Jeerings was gone again, out doing more house calls. I reassured him several times that I'd be okay on my own, and after he was (Reluctantly) convinced he left, giving Phantom the chance to turn visible.

He'd make sure to disappear from sight whenever a customer came in, but unfortunately this didn't mean he had to be quiet, just keep his voice under their hearing.

He'd take advantage of this and start whispering stupid stuff in my ear, making me giggle and laugh, which in turn earned me weird looks from the customers in question. I'd probably convinced half the town I was off my rocker by now…

"Um, okay, what's the creepiest thing you've seen since becoming a ghost?" I asked.

"In all honestly? A creepy, evil, putrid ghost who has the hots for my Mom," Phantom shuddered. "I don't care what other people say, _**that's**_ the stuff that gives you nightmares!" I laughed loudly, more at the look on Phantom's face then his comment. He was so expressive with his feelings...A lot like Danny, actually…

"Hey, do you know Danny Fenton?" I asked suddenly. Even I didn't know where that one had come from, and Phantom looked alarmed that I'd asked.

"Wh-What makes you think that?" He asked nervously, suddenly very tense.

"It's just… you remind me of him a little," I said, shrugging helplessly. Phantom blushed.

"You got that from meeting him once?" He asked. I frowned at the ghost.

"How did you know I only met him once?" I asked, very confused. Phantom's blushed darkened.

"Anyways, I do know him. I know all the Fentons fairly well, since his parents used to hunt me a lot before they disappeared." I was surprised and a little touched at the genuine sadness in Phantom's voice as he admitted that last part. Was he upset Danny's parents were missing, too? It took someone pretty noble to forgive people who tried to hurt you just because of what you were like that…

Before I could mention this the look cleared up, and Phantom frowned in confusion, "Wait a second, Fenton never told you his name. How did you know…?" I cringed, realizing my error.

"Tell me how you knew I only talked to him once and never got his name and I'll tell you how I found out," I countered instantly. Phantom flinched.

"Fair enough," He said. "Let's change the subject…" I sighed, relived I wouldn't have to confess my cross-dressing secret to the ghost. "…So, what do you think of Fenton?" I felt my face heat up at the question.

"Well…" I said. "He's really cute and nice, even if he does keep secrets…" I admitted. "And he's really fun to be around…"

"Does that mean you like him?" Phantom asked, curiosity shining in his vivid green eyes.

"I dunno…" I said casually, trying my hardest not to blush.

Apparently, though, my hardest wasn't good enough.

"What would you say if he asked you out?" Phantom pressed.

"You want me to be honest?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," Phantom said, rolling his eyes. I grinned shyly, playing with the hem of my skirt.

"We-ell…" I drew the word out until it was at least four syllables long. "…I'd have to say that I'd ask him the time and place," Phantom looked surprised, and for some weird reason he blushed brightly. At least until a noise drew his attention outside, and his face paled at something he saw.

"I gotta go," He said quickly. And, before I could say anything, he went through the wall and was gone. I sighed in frustration.

_Well there's another thing he and Danny have in common,_ I thought wryly. _They're both masters of the disappearing act._ Before I could sulk on the matter any more, the bell rang to announce another new customer, and I turned to meet startled blue-green eyes.

"Sam?" Jazz asked incredulously.

…_Why me…?_

"Uuh…" I cringed, my heart pounding. Frantic, I faked my best smile for my roommate's older sister. "Welcome?" Jazz came out of her shock, her lips pursing as she glared.

"What do you think you're _doing?_!" She hissed. "Are you **insane**?"

"Probably," I answered honestly. "What are you doing here?" Jazz's glare intensified.

"I'm studying to be a doctor," She said. "I just came in for a few more supplies." I rolled my eyes. Did Jazz really think I was that stupid.

"You're studying to be a Psychologist," I corrected dryly. "A PhD in Psychology doesn't mean you have to take care of the _physically_ hurt, Jazz."

"You still haven't told me why you're here," Jazz reminded me. I cringed.

"I'm working," I said simply. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"I can see that." She said. "But I want to know why SAMANTHA is working when she's not supposed to be."

"No one around here knows me," I protested. "And anyways, Dr. Jeerings needs the help."

"Sam, you're risking exposure!" Jazz said in exasperation. "And what if someone from Casper sees you here and recognizes you?"

"Danny didn't," I said defensively. Jazz froze, her face paling.

"Danny saw you?" She said quietly.

"Yeah," I said, wondering what the problem was. "He even came close to asking me out," Jazz groaned at that.

"Sam, don't you see that you're only making things more complicated then they need to be?" Jazz asked in a whisper.

"I can handle myself," I said, glaring at her. "No one suspects anything, alright?"

"That doesn't mean you should give them a reason to!" Jazz said firmly. I frowned. What was with Jazz's sudden change of heart…?

That's when it hit me.

"This is about Danny, isn't it?" I asked dryly. Jazz flinched, and I glared at the older girl. "I thought so."

"Look, it's not what you think-!"

"How do you know what I think?" I asked her coolly.

"You think I think Danny's too good for you," Jazz said, glaring at me as if daring me to deny it. "And that's not the case at all, okay?"

"Then what is?" I asked. "Is this about a girl rooming with your brother? Cause I can tell you right now that no matter how much I like Danny, I'm not about to let him-!"

"It's not about that either!" Jazz quickly cut me off, blushing slightly. Under her breath, she addd _'Ew, mental images...!'_ "It's just… My brother has to deal with things that other people could never know about, and everyone close to him always gets dragged in, too. Tucker and I love Danny enough to take that chance, but you're still an outsider to us. Even if you think you like Danny, there are things about him you could never know, and if you get hurt by accident, I could never forgive myself."

"Why would I get hurt?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. I wanted to know why Danny came home bloodied and bruised every night.

"I can't say," Jazz sighed. "Just trust me, okay? Besides, don't you think Danny will wonder after a while? How come he's never been to your house, or seen any of your family… my brother's not stupid, Sam, he's going to ask questions. And once Danny starts on something, you can guarantee he'll find out everything." I flinched.

"…Guess you're right." I admitted in defeat. Jazz's look softened sympathetically.

"Hey, don't act like that, Sam. My brother's great, but he's not the only guy out there."

"Yeah," I sighed. Then I added, "I've been talking to Phantom a lot, too…" Jazz froze up again.

"…Phantom as in the ghost Phantom?" She asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I met him a few times now, both as Samuel and Samantha. He seems cool, and I think he likes Samantha..." For some odd reason, Jazz groaned.

"Why me…?" She asked herself. "Why do I have to sort this mess out...?"

"Jazz?" I said curiously.

"It's nothing," Jazz sighed. "I'd better go. See you around, Sam…"

"Uh, yeah," I said, blinking after her a once she left.

_What the heck was that about?_


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't get you, Danny," I whispered, shaking my head. "Where do you go all the time?" Seriously, that was one of the many things that puzzled me about my roommate…

"Here and there," My roommate replied just as softly.

"No talking!" Mr. Barrens, the buff, scary-looking Gym teacher who was in charge of detention barked angrily. Just then the door slid open and Nate walked in, grinning at Mr. Barren's scowl.

"Hey, Coach!" He said loudly. "Guess I'm stuck in there for the day, too!"

"Take a seat, Dobson," Barrens growled in annoyance. Nate shrugged and turned to the row Danny and I were sitting in, double taking when he saw me.

"Whoa!" He said with a grin, "You're not a face I expected to see here! What's your crime?"

"Breaking curfew," I answered. "You?"

"Redecorating the English department." Nate said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes ruining his otherwise serious expression. "And what did you do this time, Fenton?"

"Skipping class," Danny sighed. "Lancer did one of his random attendance check things and saw I'd had 17 unexplained absences and 25 tardies." Nate shook his head.

"You've gotta tell me your secret," He said, laughing, "How the heck do you get around those military hall monitors without them seeing you?" Danny smiled wryly.

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "Around here, I'm invisible."

"Yeah, right!" Nate snickered, "What about your fight with Dash? Or the time you and Tucker hijacked that helicopter and crashed it into the old football stadium? I still don't know why Mr. Masters didn't press charges against your guardian for that…"

"You did what?" I asked, slack-jawed. Then I made another connection as far as the name went. "Any by Mr. Master, you don't mean the owner of Master Corps, do you?"

The infamous Mr. Vlad Masters of Master Corps was a mysterious, powerful man. My father had been trying to gain a conference with him since before I was born, and still had little to no luck.

I couldn't say I'd ever had an interest in him, though. After all, he was just another rich guy, even if he was richer then most. He contributed a lot to environmental groups and a lot of his company's stuff was environmentally-friendly, so I had nothing against the guy.

"That was an accident," Danny said, his face going red. "A ghost chased us inside there and Tucker's foot accidentally hit something."

"Still, you were lucky he didn't sue your butt straight into poverty," Nate chuckled.

"Luck didn't have anything to do with it…" Danny muttered to himself. I raised an eyebrow.

_What was that supposed to…?_

"Anyways, did you hear the news? Masters is finally gonna announce his sole heir to Master Corps at a press conference on Thursday, and he's already hinting at who it is!"

"Hinting how?" Danny asked sharply. "What's he saying?"

"Just that he goes to this school," Nate shrugged. "Not that that tells us much, except that he's still a minor." I felt a chill go through me at that.

_It's a good thing I got away when I did,_ I thought dryly, _Knowing Dad, he'd be trying everything in his power to get me hooked up with this guy just as soon as he knew who he was, and knowing my luck he's someone like Dash or one of his other football cronies…_

"He didn't say anything else?" Danny pressed.

"No," Nate shook his head. "Nothing. Why?"

"Just wondering," I raised an eyebrow at my roommate.

I'd been around him long enough to recognize that that 'just wondering' WASN'T a 'just wondering.' But that didn't make any sense, why would he care who Vlad Master's heir was…?

That's when I had an epiphany.

My conversation with Jazz on the way to Casper…

"_Vlad is our caretaker."_

…Tucker's accidental outbursts in the Lunchroom and when Danny and got into trouble for fighting…

"_Danny… is the heir to a major company now a days,"_

…My one-on-one with Mr. Marchez about the Guardian Danny despised…

"_We're talkin' about Vlad,"_

_**Oh. My. God.**_

"Sam? You okay?" I jumped slightly at Danny's voice, looking between him and Nate, who were both staring at me.

"Fine!" I said a little too loudly, earning a scowl from Barrens. "Uh, fine. Just… thinking."

"About what?" Nate asked.

"Um… About… a-about…" My eyes caught the words on a poster taped to outside, "…About the Masquerade Ball!"

"Keep it quiet over there!" Barrens growled.

"I thought you weren't going?" Danny asked quietly.

"I'm not," I said, "but you two are, right? Are your costumes done yet? Do you have dates?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with Bree Summers from Wendy," Nate said. "She's making my costume so it'll match up with hers."

"I'm not taking anyone," Danny said in a strange voice. "And Liz is making my costume. She says it's a surprise," Danny rolled his eyes as I tried to keep my disappointment in.

I was so sure he was going to ask me to be his date! All the signs were there, and when I told Tina about it over a Game of Doomed. (In between crushing this guy called Tech-Geek who kept bugging me for re-match after re-match.) She agreed with me that he definitely sounded interested, and she insisted he was at the brink of asking me out when he ran off without rhyme or reason…

**Iycee-** _Maybe he chickened out?_

**Chaos-** _We're talking about a guy who'd face down an entire football team to protect a friend._

**Gem- **_Really? Damn! Are you SURE he doesn't have a brother? Cause that's not a guy you let go of without fighting tooth and nail._

**Iycee-** _That doesn't mean anything, Sam. I bet there are a lot of guys who'd rather fistfight a football team then ask a girl out on a date if they thought she'd say no!_

**Gem-** _Name two._

**Iycee-** …_Okay, so I don't know any personally, but they're out there!_

I sighed mentally as what I remembered of the rest of the conversation faded away to the back of my mind. I just didn't get it! Why would Danny go from the verge of asking me out to-?

Then it came to me.

_Jazz!_

It was so obvious! She already said she didn't want us being together, and I knew Danny talked to her on the phone at least once a week. The siblings were very loyal to one another, and closer then any other brother and sister I'd ever met.

If Jazz made it a choice between his own blood, and someone who cared for him as much as Jazz cared for Danny, and a stranger he thought he only just met of course he'd side with her!

I breathed in and out slowly, trying to control my sudden burst of rage. Eve if Jazz was honest about looking out for my and Danny's safety, that was no reason to start going around behind out backs like that!

Scowling, I brought myself back to reality. I noticed then that Nate was fast asleep on his desk and Danny busy drawing something, his headphones on and his CD player belting out a tune I could just barely hear.

'_Why don't you let me be, leave me alone?_

_You start a fire inside that I could never control_

_You want to see a reaction? (See a Reaction?)'_

'_Come on and cut me down, I've gone as far as I'll go_

_Now you're crossing the line and I am letting you know_

_Well here's your reaction (Here's your reaction)'_

I smiled wryly at the familiar song. I would've never figured Danny as a Trapt fan. Stand Up was one of my favorites by them, though, and very appropriate for my life, if you thought about it. My parents had started it with me, after all, and I showed them that I wasn't going to sit there and take their crap.

They shoveled pressure after pressure onto me, expecting me to always live up to their expectations. I tried when I was little, I won't lie about that, but around the time I entered middle school I got sick of it all. Sick of running to try keep up with an image that wasn't me, and wouldn't be as hard as I tried. So, little by little, I started to defy my parents, until I basically became their full-blown 'problem child.'

'_Stand up I have had enough,'_

'_Walk away before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_I will put you in your place_

_End this game_

_Before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_Everything will change,'_

Now, though, my parents were no longer the problem for me. But now my difficulties were that much more complicated. I mean, here I was cross dressing in an all-boy's school, falling in love with both my roommate and a ghost who saved me on a number of occasions.

I froze at that thought.

As much as I wanted to take it back, though, I couldn't. I had already fallen pretty hard for Danny, and I was definitely getting there with Phantom. But Danny wasn't interested anymore, and as much as I liked Phantom, I was completely unsure about how a human and a ghost went about having a relationship.

'_You've planted this seed, how my anger has grown_

_I've got a feeling inside that I can't seem to control_

_You want to see a reaction? (See a reaction?)'_

'_Come on and cut me down, You've gone as far as I'll go_

_Now you're crossing the line and I am letting you know_

_Well here's your reaction (Here's your reaction)'_

And that wasn't even taking into account the fact that neither of them knew about the Samuel thing. I would have to tell them sooner or later. I hate lying, and I could never lie to someone I was as close to as a boyfriend and girlfriend were supposed to be, not if I could help it.

Besides, what if I met Mr. Masters as Samantha and he decided I wasn't good enough for his heir? Even if Danny didn't like him, could he really go against such a powerful man? For someone who was lying to him more then they told the truth?

_Maybe I'm being too hard on myself…?_ I thought with a sigh. Still, what was I supposed to do?

'_Stand up I have had enough,'_

'_Walk away before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_I will put you in your place_

_End this game_

_Before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_Everything will change,'_

There was another thing that was bothering me, too. I hadn't seen Phantom in a while. It wasn't because of ghosts, either. There hadn't been a real attack since the Spectra thing. I was almost getting the feeling that he was avoiding me for some reason, and this hurt.

What the heck was I doing wrong all of a sudden that had the guys I liked heading for the hills? I hadn't said anything to offend either of them and neither showed any signs of learning my secret, so what the heck was the big deal all of a sudden?

'_Insult after insult_

_After insult after insult_

_After insult after insult_

_After insult after insult_

_After insult after insult'_

'_Stand up I have had enough,'_

'_Walk away before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_I will put you in your place_

_End this game_

_Before I finish what you started_

_Face to face_

_Everything will change,'_

_Maybe Jazz is right,_ I decided_, I am over complicating things. If Danny doesn't like me anymore, I'll give up on him. And If I never see Phantom again, that's obviously his choice._ Unless something had happened to him…

I pushed that thought and the fears that came with it away. What was I thinking? Of course nothing had happened to Phantom! He'd proven before that he could take care of himself just fine, why would I feel the need to doubt him now?

But it wasn't doubt… It was worry. I was worried that Phantom wouldn't make it back to me, even though he was already a ghost. If the thought of losing my superhero to his rivals didn't scare me as badly as it did, I'd laugh at how unbelievably mushy I sounded right now…

'_Walk away_

_Everything will Change_

_End this game_

_You wanna see a reaction?_

_You wanna see a reaction?'_

"What's that, Fenton?" Barrens asked sharply, "No music! I'll confiscate these…" The coach ignored Danny's protest as he took the CD player from my roommate. Then he moved onto the picture Danny had been working on. "And how about you save daydreaming about your girlfriend for your own time, Fenton, this is punishment!"

…_What?_ Curious, Nate and I leaned over as one to see Danny's paper, ignoring his brilliant blush.

I felt my own face heat up at the scribbles.

On the papers was a picture of me. A few, actually. One was a small head shot of me smiling slightly, another was of me sitting on the counter at work, one was me glaring at some unseen foe and the last one, which took up the most space, was me standing alone and looking down at something.

I wasn't smiling, but I didn't look angry or depressed, just deep in thought. One hand was brushing my hair out of my face and the other was fingering my belt, a habit of mine. Large transparent wings he'd shaded in to look dark came out from my back, and a few feather fell down where my name was carefully printed at the bottom of the paper; _Sam_.

_So he does like me…_ I thought, smiling slightly.

"Nice," Nate said admirably. "She's cute."

"It's just a girl I met recently." Danny muttered, uncomfortable.

"Is she the one you can't stop thinking about?" I asked. Danny blushed brilliantly and didn't answer, which delighted me. So then he did like me back!

"It's nothing, alright guys?" Danny sighed. "It'll be better off for her if we stop it before either of us gets too attached." Oh, well, too late for that…

"Detention's over," Barrens grunted a while later. "Fenton, get your CD player from me this evening, before lights out and don't lemme catch you with it again."

"Yes sir," Danny said, quickly gathering his things to get out the door. In his haste, he never even noticed when the picture he just drew slipped out of his grasp. I noticed, though, and when I picked it up to study it again, Megan's words over Doomed flashed through my head.

'_That's not a guy you let go of without fighting tooth an nail…'_

I grinned.

'_Stand up,'_

"Whoa!" Danny said, double taking when he saw my load. "What's all that?"

"Nothing!" I answered through my gasps, heading into my room. Once there, I let the bags spill to the ground and locked my door before turning back to all the stuff I'd bought.

None of it was anything fancy on its own, but I'd learned enough about fashion design from Lisa (Who was rabidly obsessed with clothing) to add all the lace and frill myself, for lack of a better saying.

My dress was an off the shoulder one with silvery sparkles to it and a flowing skirt. Vary simple, but nothing a little hard work couldn't fix.

_This is really, really stupid…_I though, me heart pounding as I began to work. Normally I wasn't this reckless…

…And don't you dare bring up the rabbit thing, by the way.

I'm not sure how long I'd worked. I know Danny had come and gone, (along with the night,) in the time I spent sitting on my bed cutting, sewing and basically killing my eyes. Even then, it wasn't finished overnight.

Lucky for me, though, the Ball was still three days off…


	10. Chapter 10

I yawned loudly as I stumbled out of my room. It'd been another late night of working on my dress, and I was starting to really feel it. But it was worth it. The entire outfit was done and not too shabby, if I say so myself. The dance was tomorrow, so I still had today left to buy make-up, not to mention telling Dr. Jeerings I wouldn't come in on Saturday…

I stopped short at the sight of the living room, my mind going blank.

The TV screen had a big, gaping hole through it, and the coffee table Danny had stumbled over now laid in splinters. Scorch marks were all over the walls, and someone had knocked Danny's laptop to the floor, destroying the desk it'd sat upon. Most horrifying, though, was that battered and bloody Danny that lay in the middle of the floor…

"DANNY!" I yelled, falling to the floor next to his motionless body. My heart pounding in my ears, I clumsily grabbed for his arm to check his pulse. Relief flooded through me when I got one. It was weak, but still there. A groan from the boy told me he was waking up, and bleary blue eyes met mine when he blinked up at me in a daze.

"Sam?" He said sounding confused.

"What the hell happened?" I asked him, relieved he was still alive. Danny looked confused for a second.

"Oh!" He said, grimacing. "Sorry. I thought you were Sam." I frowned, bewildered.

_What the heck does that… Aww, crud._ I cringed and blushed. Girl me. He meant girl me. Boy did I feel dumb right now…

"Can you get up?" I asked, concentrating on a more pressing problem then my identity issues. If he was hurt as badly as I thought…

"Yeah," Danny said, trying and failing. "…Just gimme a second. I'm fine," I rolled my eyes.

_Boys!_

"Hang on, Danny," I said, "I'll call the infirmary and we'll-!"

"NO!" Danny yelled, grabbing my arm in a surprisingly powerful grip for someone who didn't have the strength to stand on their own two feet. "No infirmary! No doctors!"

"What are you talking about, Danny?" I asked, glaring at him harshly. "You're a mess! Look, I'm calling a doctor right now! You need one, in case you haven't noticed." I tried to pull free, but Danny wouldn't budge.

"Call Jazz," Danny insisted firmly. "She'll know what to do," I rolled my eyes.

"Danny, I don't think-!"

"Please," He said softly, looking at me with the same fearful, helpless expression of a wounded puppy, "Please Sam, if you're gonna call someone, please let it be Jazz,"

_Oh, like someone could really say no to THAT look…_

"Fine," I sighed. "But you seriously owe me!" Danny relaxed and left go of my now slightly numb arm, falling back to the floor to stare at the ceiling with a dazed, bitter expression of someone thinking about something they didn't want to think about.

Sighing to myself, I picked up the phone and hit the speed dial for Jazz, praying that she was still in her room.

"Bethany here,"A strange voice at the other end grunted.

"Ah, hi!" I said awkwardly. "This is Sam, I'm Danny's roommate. Danny's-!"

"Jazz's brother. I know," Bethany sighed. "You wanna talk to her?"

"It's important," I said, trying not to sound too anxious.

"Hang on… Jazz! JAZZ! Danny's roommate's on the phone for you!" There was sound of movement on the other end before I was greeted with the familiar voice of my roommate's sister, slightly breathless and really worried.

"Hello? Sam?"

"Jazz," I said, fear working it's way into my tone. "It's Danny! I woke up this morning and he was just lying there and he wasn't moving and then when he woke up he couldn't stand up and-!"

"Sam, please slow down,"Jazz said urgently. "I can barely understand you." I took a deep breath before I started to talk again at a slower pace.

"Jazz, I woke up this morning and Danny was lying in the middle of the living room half dead," I told her. "He refuses to go to the infirmary, or to see any doctor, and insists that you come down here. He's in really, really bad shape."

"I'm on my way," Jazz said. "Call Danny in sick for the day, and don't let any reporters in to see him!"

"Reporters?" I repeated blankly before I remembered that today was Friday. The press conference for Masters Corps. had been the night before.

"I'll tell you later," Jazz said just as I remembered this. "For now just get Danny into a bed and don't move him after that! I don't want to take any chances it he has a concussion again…"

…_Again?_

"Right," I said. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on him after you leave, too," and, before Jazz could protest, I hung up the phone, working my way through the shambles of the living room and back to Danny's side.

"Is Jazz coming?" Danny asked blearily.

"Yeah," I said, trying to lift him as I spoke and grunting in surprise at his weight. What the heck was this school feeding this kid…? "She's on her way. Come on, you need to get into your bed."

"Right." Danny sighed, pushing himself up the best he could and wincing in pain at the effort.

Once we got him vertical (Sort of) the two of us started a wavy path towards his door, Danny walking the best he could and me grunting at the effort of keeping both of us standing at the same time.

_Guess this is my punishment for blowing off gym…_ I thought wryly. Karma really sucks sometimes…

Finally we got to Danny's room, and I couldn't contain my stunned gasp.

Instead of being filled with normal guy stuff like sports things and posters of half naked women, or even anything else one might find in a guy's domain, the place was absolutely packed with various, dangerous-looking weapons and equipment, including at least ten guns and a pair of metallic gloves twice the size of my head.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breath. I couldn't even THINK. All I could do was stand there, staring until a loud groan from Danny woke me from my trance. Glancing down at him, I saw he was dangerously pale, and a sickly green color was working its way into his face.

"Hang on, Danny," I said, leading him over to the bed where he lied down, burying his face into his pillow. "I'll be right back. I just need to call the office and tell them we can't come to class today."

Danny didn't say anything. Deciding he was fine for the time being, I rushed back out to the phone to dial the front office.

It took me a while to explain everything to them, since I was short a few details myself, but after a while they decided Danny was attacked by another yet ghost and I must've slept through the attack. (Which is kind of hard to believe since I'm normally a pretty light sleeper,) Apparently security cameras had caught Phantom fighting off some ghost last night, so there was definitely activity.

"Jasmine knows how to treat ghost-related injuries." The secretary assured me. "So does Daniel, but if he's as bad as you say that's not gonna help. It wouldn't be the first time Daniel refused to go down to the infirmary. I think it's needles or something that scare him. He's petrified to death of shots…"

After a lot of arguing, the woman finally reluctantly let me take a day off too, to make sure Danny was okay. "I'm telling ya though, he won't have a scratch on him come morning." She told me firmly. "I think it's something the Fenton's put in their medications that boosts the speed of his healing rate or something…"

I sighed when I finally hung up the phone on the chatty woman. My dad had had a secretary like her once, and people like that drove me absolutely insane. Still, I held my tongue, knowing that offending the woman blew all my chances of stick with Danny until he was better straight to Hell.

A little anxious, I made my way back to Danny's room to check on him. He was still a little pale and sleeping deeply, so I decided to leave him until Jazz came. Sitting in a chair that seemed to double as a clothes hanger, I looked around the room again, studying everything carefully.

Apparently I'd been wrong when I first came to Casper. Danny had left the bigger room for me and crammed all of his stuff in the cramped space of the smaller room. Really it was a wonder he didn't break his neck every time he came in.

The only normal things about the space was the stereo, the clothes the littered the floor and poked out of the drawers that'd been shut in a hurry (I rolled my eyes in amusement when I noticed a pair of his boxers a few feet away from me. Red ones with white polka dots…) and the laptop perched next to a rather mean-looking elephant-gun sized weapon.

_Wait, laptop? _I frowned curiously. _He has two laptops? What's the second one for?_ My curiosity getting the best of me, I opened it up. A box appeared demanding a password, and I hesitated, glancing at Danny. _He probably hasn't changed it in a while. If he barely has time to eat, sleep and bath there's no way he'll sit through changing a password. Now let's see…_ I frowned thoughtfully until it finally came to me.

Balancing the computer on my knees, I tapped in PAULINA FENTON, gaining access in a heartbeat.

_Really, Danny,_ I thought wryly, _You're just too easy sometimes._

I grinned in triumph when it finished loading, clicking on the nearest icon I could get my hands on.

A picture popped up, and I frowned in annoyance when I recognized the cheesy pop star you couldn't go three feet without hearing a few months ago, Ember McClain, or something like that…

_Pop Music. Urg…_

Sighing I turned my attention back to the computer, deciding to read on instead of brooding about the evil taint on the music industry.

"What are you doing?" I yelped slightly as Jazz's sharp demand, twisting around to face her.

"J-Jazz!" I said, torn between guilt and fear at the girl's look.

Without saying another word, Jazz walked over and shut the computer, taking it away before I had a chance to read.

"Danny doesn't like it when people invade his privacy," She said, still glaring. I stiffened.

"I was just-."

"You should leave," she interrupted me, in as voice that told me not to argue. "Now." I glared at her before turning and doing as she said. I knew Jazz well enough to know I was going to get a lecture later…

Twenty minutes later, I was still sitting anxiously in the living room, which I'd cleaned the best I could. I couldn't do much about the table, or the TV, so those went straight into a corner to be thrown out later. I looked up when I saw Jazz re-entered the living room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Mentally sighing, I stood up and faced her down, glaring defiantly at her unreadable look.

"How is he?" I asked, deciding to cut through the tension.

"He woke up ten minutes ago, and just fell asleep again," Jazz answered. "His injuries weren't as serious as they looked, just a lot of minor incisions and a slight head trauma. He'll be fine after a good night's rest." Part of me was surprised at how collected Jazz was after seeing her brother in such a bad condition, considering how protective she was.

_Maybe she's just used to seeing him hurt,_ A part of me suggested.

"Sam, why on earth were you going through my brother's personal computer?" Jazz demanded before I could ask her about it, glaring at me sternly. I winced slightly before my glare returned.

"Why is Danny packing enough weapons in his room to keep a small army armed and dangerous?" I countered crossing my arms. There was a subtle shift in Jazz's posture as her glare intensified.

"If you must know," She said stiffly. "They were made by our parents. Those were ecto-guns, completely harmless to humans. Danny doesn't even use them,"

"Then why keep them?" I asked.

"Because our parents are still missing, and Danny's worried that if he doesn't Vlad or someone will steal their designs,"

"Vlad Masters is interested in ghost hunting equipment?" I asked, my eyebrow kicking up.

"How do you think he became friends with mom and dad?" Jazz asked with a tired sigh. "Look, Sam, we need to talk."

"Then talk," I said, trying not to sound too wary.

"Look, I know you and Danny like each other, but this double identity thing HAS to stop," Jazz starting firmly. "You're only putting both you and Danny at risk, especially with all the attention Danny's gonna be getting now that everybody knows that he's Vlad's heir."

"I can take care of myself," I insisted firmly. "And Danny's a big boy. Look, I know you're only worried about us, and I really appreciate it, but Danny and I can both take care of ourselves."

"Sam, you don't understand-!" Jazz said, sounding exasperated.

"I know you talked Danny out of asking me out, Jazz," I said accusingly, glaring at the girl. "And I know that even after whatever you said, Danny still likes me. So why do you have such a problem with us getting together?"

"It's not that simple, alright?" Jazz said in exasperation. "Neither you and Danny can see the big picture here!"

"So why can you?" I asked.

"ARGH!" Jazz yelled throwing up her hands. "There's no talking to you, is there?"

"Because there shouldn't be any problem with the two of us being together," I told her. "Look, if you're not worried about us doing something, and you trust Danny enough to know he'll keep my secret when he finds out, then why turn this into such a big deal,"

"BECAUSE IT IS A BIG DEAL!" Jazz yelled. "There's a lot more at risk here then your secret, Sam!"

"Like what?"

"Like your LIFE!" Jazz replied, yelling a bit/ "Like DANNY'S life! If Vlad ever found out-!" Jazz cut herself off abruptly, and I could only stare at her in shock after her violent outburst. "Never mind. I have to get back to school." Her head low, Jazz made her way to the door. I sighed. Great, now I felt guilty…

"Jazz," I said, making the older girl stop. "…I promise I'll stop the whole Samantha thing if you tell me what Danny does that leaves him a bloody mess like that. Why is our dating so risky for us?" I didn't want to make that promise, but if I knew what was going on I could do something to protect Danny from it.

"I can't tell you that, Sam," Jazz sighed. "I'm sorry but you're just going to have to trust me. I don't want to see you guys getting hurt," And with that, Jazz left, the sound of the shutting door like a gunshot in the silent room.

"You know, I could think of a million and one doctors who would kill to know you're secret, Danny," I teased. "What superpowers let you heal from life threatening injuries in one night?" Danny laughed nervously.

"Come on, Sam," He said. "There's nothing special about me."

_Oh? Well, I beg to differ…_

"Anyways, are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Couldn't even if I wanted to," I told him happily. "Lancer banned me."

"You sound choked up about that," Danny said sarcasticly.

"What can I say, I hide my grief well," Danny laughed at this remark.

"Anyways, I'd better go. Knowing Liz, it'll take me half an hour to get dressed." He made a face as he said that, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Have fun," I called after him as he left. Once the door shut, I dived for my room.

Shutting my door behind me in case Danny or someone else came back, I crawled under my bed and pulled out my dress and mask. Considering that my skills with sewing were mediocre at their best, I was really proud of how the outfit had turned out.

It was still the glittery blue color, only I'd added a little more to it. There was now a flimsy, dark violet second layer over the skirt, with three lilac gems sewn to the from with black satin cords attached to each that trailed up to the waist where they all met. A black wrap had been added to the top, clasped together by an amulet the same color as my eyes. The front of the dress had been cut away and replaced with a lighter blue with black satin cords crisscrossing in front of it.

Since it was a costume dance, I'd decided to take a chance and add wings to the back. I was going to try angel wings, but after finding feathers too hard to work with (And I'm still surprised Danny didn't hear me cursing when I was making the attempt) I settled for semi-transparent black and violet butterfly winds instead.

I dressed as quickly as I could, putting the accessories on when I was finished. Mainly black fingerless elbow length gloves, silver bracelets and a choker my grandma gave me for my 11th birthday, a black velvet one with dangling sapphires. With all of this done, I pulled my hair up with glittering lilac bands and put on my eye make-up and lip stick before putting on my mask.

My mask was the same dark blue as my dress, and shaped like a butterfly. It even had lilac gems on the feelers, not to mention three on each wing. (Two on the upper section, one on the lower.) Each section of the wing was trimmed in black, and there was a black design over each eye to substitute my eyebrows.

When I was done, I couldn't help but smile at my reflection, proud of the transformation I'd undergone at my own hands without sacrificing my individuality.

_I just hope Danny likes it. _I thought, grabbing my purse and slipping on my shoes before heading out the door. Lucky for me, everyone was either at the party or in their rooms, so no one saw me slip out of the dormitory and towards Wendy…

_Okay, next time I plan something like this, I'm working out transportation first,_ I thought as I reached the all-girls school a good while and a lot of walking (And even more staring from the people I passed) later. Once again redemption for shorting myself a gym class, I guess…

My heart pounding, I headed up the steps and into the school, cringing when I saw how much of the decorating was themed in pink.

_Ten to one says that's all Paulina… _I thought dryly as I entered the main dance. Tables were set up all along the side where friends and couples ate and talked, while some lovers had already taken to the dance floor. It didn't take long to spot Ms. Pretty-and-Popular herself, sulking in annoyance next to Dash who was too busy bragging to the rest of the table to notice her irritation.

I smirked when I realized that Phantom must've shot her down after all… that or she couldn't find him. I preferred the first one though. It was nice to think that Paulina was finally getting hers.

"Excuse me," I jumped before turning to look up at Mr. Lancer, who was frowning down at me. "Who are you?"

"Me?" I said. "Ah, I'm Samantha. Samantha Falcon,"

"Well, Ms. Falcon," Mr. Lancer said with a stern frown, "I'm afraid this is a private party. And as Ms. Testlaff had informed me that you do not attend Wendy…" I felt my heart sink to my shoes. After all that hard work, I was gonna get turned away at the door?

"Ease up, Lancer," Mr. Marchez said, coming up next to the headmaster. "She's here with a date," Mr. Lancer blinked at the art teacher in surprise.

"She is?" He asked, eyeing me curiously.

"I am?" I whispered to Mr. Marchez, a little confused. He gave me a pointed look and I finally got the hint. "Ah, I am! We met a little while back and really hit it off," I smiled as convincingly as I could with how scared I was of getting kicked out before I could see Danny. I was a little confused too.

_Why is Mr. Marchez helping me…?_

"Well, Miss Falcon," Mr. Lancer said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. "Care to tell me exactly who your date is?"

"Meet him yourself, Lancer," Mr. Marchez said before I could respond, grabbing a boy who had been walking towards the punch bowl, who let out an exclamation of surprise. "Then again, you already know him…"

I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I looked towards the boy to offer a silent apology for putting him on the spot like I was. But when my eyes met his, I couldn't contain my surprise at the all-too familiar face.

…Well, at least the part I could see.

Standing in front of me was none other then a very surprised Danny, dressed in a black trench coat with a high collar, which was left open to reveal an old fashion blood red shirt with black buttons that was left loose so one could clearly see his chest. He also wore loose black jeans that tucked into black boots, with silver chains clasped around the belt loop at his left hip.

Red fingerless gloves with steel plates across the backs adorned his hands, and a strange medallion sparkled on a gold chain around his neck. Three earrings lined each of his ears, and almost the entire right side of his face was hidden with a traditional Phantom of the Opera mask, giving those amazing blue eyes an even more haunting look.

_Note to self; compliments to Liz for an amazing design._ I thought dumbly, thankful for my mask when I felt my cheeks heat up at the sight of Danny's chest again. It was still taking me a while to get used to that…

"Danny?" Mr. Lancer said, surprised. He looked between us. "You know this girl?" Danny blinked, looking from Mr. Marchez to Mr. Lancer to be before what was happening finally clicked in.

"Ah, yeah!" Danny said at once, before smiling at me. Only I noticed the slight confusion in his eyes. "Glad you could make it, Sam. I was starting to worry you wouldn't show."

"Well, I did say I was gonna be a little late," I said, playing along.

"See, Lancer?" Mr. Marchez said, pushing Danny towards me. "Now that that's taken care of, why don't you two go enjoy yourselves?" Not wanting to stay under Mr. Lancer's suspicious gaze for another second, I hastily took Danny's arm and we started into the sea of people until we found a vacant corner.

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked me in a whisper, his voice full of confusion.

"Looking for you," I answered. The one cheek I saw filled with color.

"M-Me?" Danny repeated, leaning against a nearby table. Next thing I knew, he'd fallen to the ground.

"Danny!" I gasped, crouching down to put a hand on his shoulder in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Danny assured me, standing up. I frowned as I looked from him to the table.

"Weird," I said, confused. "It was almost like your hand fell right through…" Going a little red in the face, Danny started to laugh a little.

"What?" He said, his voice a little higher then usual,."What are you talking about? People's hands don't go through tables!"

"Hence why it was weird," I said, my eyebrow kicking up. "You sure you're okay?"

"I…" Danny sighed. "No, I'm not. I wasn't expecting to see you tonight."

"So you have been avoiding me," I said, my eyes narrowing in accusation.

"It's not what you think, Sam!" Danny assured me. "I just… well something came up and…"

"You mean the press conference?" I asked. "Danny, stupid things like money and who knows who doesn't matter to me,"

"It doesn't?" Danny asked me, sounding both surprised and hopeful.

"No, it doesn't," I smiled. "Look, I understand why you don't what to let anybody too close, Danny, but I really like talking to you, and I kinda hoped you liked talking to me too, so…" I trailed off, starting to feel stupid. Danny just smiled at me, though, taking my hand.

"I do," He said, pulling me away. "Come on, there are some people I want you to meet." Smiling slightly, I followed Danny willingly as he led me through the people to the table were Tucker and Valerie sat with Liz. I spotted jazz on the dance floor, seeming quite content with her partner (Whoever he was) and completely oblivious to everything else.

_Perfect…_

"Guys," Danny said as we stopped. "This is Sam, the girl I was telling you around. Sam, these are my friends; Tucker, Valerie and Liz,"

I smiled at them as I said hello, studying them all curiously. Tucker was dressed like a pirate, with a black mask covering his face. Next to him, Valerie looked stunning in her simple dress, which was a gentle shade of gold with her hair pulled up and gold rose ornaments decorating the bun. A glittering golden mask similar to Tucker's was on her face, complementing her green eyes.

Liz of course had the most interesting outfit of the group. It was a slimming, sexy number with a flowing white skirt that was slitted at the left hip and a decorative black belt that looked almost like stars and moons. It drew up to her left bicep, where it was held together with a black gem.

A choker of black chains and white gemstones started around the middle of her throat, spilling downward to end at the middle of her shoulders where the front of it continued to dip, ending with a sapphire crystal. A white glove with black hemming came up to her right bicep, and her eyes and nose were covered with a feathery, decorative mask.

When I finished admiring the outfits, I turned back to Danny to find him giving me a wry smile. I didn't have to wait long to see what it was about, though.

"Blame Liz for the outfit, by the way." He told me, motioning down to his clothes. Tucker snickered and Valerie rolled her eyes as Liz promptly responded by sticking her tongue out at the boy.

"Really?" I asked, feigning surprise. Studying Danny again, I turned to smile at Liz, and told her, "You're a genius." Mr. Marchez's niece looked surprised for a nanosecond before she laughed loudly.

"Oh, I like her!" She announced, grinning. Danny's face was now stained a ruddy shade of red, and Valerie started to laugh right along with Liz.

"Careful, Fenton," She teased. "That could become permanent, you know,"

"Shut up," Danny grumbled, pulling out a chair for me. I smiled at him as I sat, and he smiled back, his blush receding slightly.

"So Sam," Liz said with a grin. "Where are you from?"

"I go to Stretch Academy." I answered. "My parents live in Shanglinton,"

"Hey, Matt's family lives there!" Liz said, brightening. "Do you know that Mansons?" I winced.

"Vaguely," I said casually, standing up, "Can you excuse me? I have to go to the bathroom…"

"Right next to the entryway," Liz said, pointing through the crowd. "Want me to show you the way?"

"Nah, I'll be fine on my own," I answered, making my way through the crowd. I was half way through when I felt someone grab my arm. Turning, I cam face to face with a grinning Dash Baxter.

"Hey, Babe," he said, alcohol rank in his breath, "What's someone like you doing with a loser like Fentino? How bout comin' with a man who knows how to show a girl like you a good time…"

"Oh?" I said coolly. "And how would you know what a girl like me wants?" Dash's drunken grin widened, and he looked down to the front of my dress.

"I can tell…" He said brazenly.

I felt my face go red with anger and embarrassment and next thing I knew, I'd nailed Dash with in the cheek, sending him flying back through a group of people who were talking around the punch bowl. They screamed in surprise and parted, leaving the quarterback to fall into the bowl, staining his white suit with pink.

"Hands off, creep," I snarled before turning and starting towards the bathroom again, my pace faster in my anger. I scowled when someone grabbed my arm again, and thinking it was Dash or one of his friends, I turned around to start yelling only to have my angry words die in my throat.

Frowning darkly down at me was Matt, my older brother.

…_This can't end well…_


	11. Chapter 11

"Matt!" I squeaked out. "…Ah… Hi?" His frown darkening, my brother pulled me aside to hide in the shadow of some freakishly pink drapery.

"What are you thinking?" Matt growled, glowering down at me. "This had better be a joke, Sam."

"If I tell you it is, will you spare me a lecture?" I asked hopefully.

"Sam…" Matt said warningly.

Yeah, didn't think that'd work…

"I'm just here with some friends is all," I said defensively.

"Who?" Matt demanded.

"You know… Jazz… Liz… DannyTuckerandValerie…" Matt's look went from dark and 'ticked off older brother,' to very, very confused.

"What was that last one?" He asked, bewildered, "You said it way too fast, Sam,"

"Point is, I said it," I chirped. "Anyone up for pizza?" I tried to duck away, but Matt caught me before I could make it.

"Nice try, Sam," He said dryly. "Now what's going on here?" I cringed, wondering how I was gonna get out of this one…

"Uh…"

"Oh, Matt, there you are!" My cringe kicked up a notch. "Who's your- Sam?" I smiled sheepishly into Jazz's wide eyed.

"Wow, what a surprise!" I laughed nervously. "How did I get here? Those pesky ghosts must've overshadowed me and made me come!" Jazz glared.

"Nice try, Sam," She said coolly, crossing her arms. "What's going on here? Didn't I tell you not to come?"

"Not technically," I reminded her. "All you said was-!"

"That's not the point!" Jazz hissed, eyes narrowing. "I specifically said that you should wait until things are less complicated to say anything to my brother!"

"Your brother?" Matt repeated, even more confused. "What's Danny got to do with any of this?"

Okay, now it was my turn to be surprised.

"You didn't tell him?" I asked Jazz.

"I thought you did," Jazz countered. I frowned, sensing the lie in her words. She knew I wouldn't tell Matt if he threatened me with a rabbit-skin coat that had been dyed neon pink, so what…?

"Well is someone going to tell me now or do I have to guess?" Matt asked irritably.

Jazz glanced at me again, before she turned back to Matt and reluctantly started talking, "Well, it turns out my brother is your sister's roommate," She said slowly. Matt frowned relaxing slightly.

"So?" He asked. "Dan's a good kid. He won't rat Sam out even if he does find out."

"Yeah, I know, but SOMEBODY decided to risk her secret by getting a part time job at Yin/Yang Pharmacy," Jazz continued. Matt's face darkened.

"That's a joke right?" He asked me. I didn't respond, just looked at the ground, and my brother cursed under his breath, "Sam, what were you-?"

"I don't know, okay?" I snapped, tired of them treating me like what I was doing was criminal. So I liked Danny and he liked me back, what the heck was the big deal? "I don't know, I just did it. It was instinct."

"And where was common sense when instinct made you do this, huh?" Matt asked.

"Why are you guys freaking out about this?" I asked. "It's my secret, I'll tell whoever I want!"

"You told him?" Jazz asked, surprised.

"Told who what?" Matt asked, starting to get annoyed.

"I haven't told anyone anything," I said. Seriously, I felt like bashing my head into the wall…no, make that into the ridicules pink décor…

"But you were going to, weren't you?" Jazz accused. "What has gotten into you, Sam? And Danny! He's never broken a promise to me before!" I cringed at the pain in Jazz's tone as she said this, a fresh wave of guilt hitting me.

"He didn't break any promises." I told her quickly. "I just showed up here and practically forced him to pretend to be my date so Lancer wouldn't have a cow." I felt a little offended that Jazz actually made Danny promise not to see me, but brushed it aside. That wasn't the big issue right now, after all…

"You girls are just doing this to annoy me, aren't you?" Matt accused, glaring between us. "Now what is going on between you and Danny that has Jazz so upset."

"Nothing." I sighed. "…Yet," Matt's eyebrow kicked up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded sharply.

"Well, Danny and I have gotten to know each other, and…" Why was it that whenever someone asked me to talk about something personal, I suddenly lost the ability to create coherent sentences?

Still, Matt's sharp gasp told me that he got the message.

"Are you nuts?" He hissed. "You want to risk getting caught over a crush?"

"I'm not going to get caught," I told them irritably. "And if I do, I won't tell anyone you guys helped me." I knew Matt wouldn't get into too much trouble, being my brother and all, but Jazz was a stranger. God only knew what my parents would try and sue out of her…

_Then again, her guardian is Vlad Masters…_ I reminded myself, _He can afford even better lawyers then mom and dad, and that's only if they don't try to use this as a chance to get buddy-buddy with him…_

"That's not what we're worried about, Sam" Jazz said in exasperation.

"Look, I appreciate that you guys want to help, I really do, but how about leaving us to settle our problems on our own?" I demanded.

"Uh, are you guys alright?" Sighing in relief, I turned to take Danny's hand, smiling at him tensely as he glanced nervously from his sister to me.

"No," I lied. "Everything's fine. Let's go." I ignored his yelp as I dragged him away toward the outdoors, listening keenly to what Jazz and Matt were saying to each other.

"You want to give me all the details already?" Matt asked irritably. Jazz sighed.

"You might want to sit down." She advised. "It's a long story…"

The air outside was cool, so there were only one or two couples other then me and Danny, and most of them were… otherwise occupied. (Ahem…)

"Look, If Jazz said anything to you, I'm sorry," Danny said quickly, giving me a worried look. I smiled.

"It's okay," I assured him. "She's your family. I know how family can be." Danny laughed, and I felt all my anger and irritation melt away. I couldn't help it, seeing as it was such a warm, friendly sound.

"Well, I'm still sorry," He said between chuckles, "And no matter what she told you to try and scare you off, she really does like you."

"She does?" I asked skeptically.

_Really, ya could've fooled me…_

"Yeah," Danny sighed. "She's just worried because I'm such a freak, and, well…" Nice to see Danny and I had something else in common.

"You're not a freak," I told him, rolling my eyes. "You're different. Different's good." Danny shook his head and smiled secretively.

"Thanks," He said. "You're different too,"

"Good," I said, crossing my arms and smiling at him slightly. Relaxing in the chill of the fallen night, I turned to count the stars above us.

"You look beautiful tonight," Danny blurted out suddenly, making me turn to look at him in surprise. He went a brilliant shade of red, obviously thinking he'd erred. "I mean, you always look beautiful, it's just that tonight you- well I-!" Danny broke off in favor of a sheepish grin, rubbing his head awkwardly to make a very cute picture. My eyebrow kicked up as behind him the couple making out on the bench suddenly found themselves lying on the cement. Obviously some ghost was having fun pulling pranks…

"I get it," I said when I turned back to Danny, smiling at him before he could turn and see the problem the two young lovers were having. "You look really great tonight too, Danny. You're an awesome Phantom,"

"What?" Danny asked looking a little alarmed. Then he was hit by realization and laughed at some private joke I didn't get. "Oh, yeah, that… Sorry, I thought you meant…" Danny glanced at me again then cleared his throat nervously. "Ah, never mind." I shrugged, brushing the comment aside.

"Really, though, thanks for noticing," I said. "I worked really hard to make this dress so it's nice to know you like it," As soon as I realized what I'd said, I wanted desperately to take it back.

"You made that dress?" Danny asked, surprised. "For me?" My cheeks heated up as I cursed myself out in my head.

"Of course not!" I said at once. "I mean, it was something I had hanging in the closet and I thought I'd spruce it up a bit, you know? And when heard about the party here…"

"Sam…" Danny said, giving me an unconvinced look. I sighed.

_There's no way I haven't convinced him I'm a stalker by now, _I thought bitterly in my head. After all, how was I supposed to explain everything without telling him I was his roommate or making myself seem like some freak that went picking through his garbage?

"Yeah, I made it for you," I admitted. "I know it's a little much, but I really like you, Danny and I thought maybe you liked me too, and when you stopped coming around, I thought-!"

"Easy," Danny said, holding a finger against my lips to quiet my nervous babbling. He gave me a gentle, searching look with those piercing blue eyes and suddenly I found I couldn't speak even if I wanted to.

But he could.

"It's not too much, Sam," He told me firmly. "I'm really flattered you'd do something like that for me. And I do like you, it's just…" He sighed and a new look overcame him, determined and a little fearful. "Sam, there's something I've got to tell you,"

"I'm listening," I said, blinking back curiously.

"You know Phantom?" Danny asked me, surprising me with such an abrupt change of subject. When did the Ghost Boy enter the conversation?

"Yes…" I said, not completely sure if this was a subject I was comfortable talking with him about. After all, I'd just told him I liked him, but I liked Phantom, too. Even if he suddenly decided to drop off the face of the earth.

_Maybe Jazz scared him off too, _I joked dryly in my head.

"Well, you see, my parents were- are sort of ghost hunters…" I didn't miss the correction, but more then that I didn't like the direction this conversation was going in. Especially went I remembered the ghost hunting gear scattered on Danny's floor and the way he was always badly beaten up whenever he came home…

"What's that got to do with-?"

"DANNY!" Both I and my date jumped as Tucker seemed to appear out of nowhere, grabbing Danny away, "Hi Sam, can I borrow him for a second? Thanks! See ya!" And before I could say anything, the tech geek hauled Danny away mid confession. I steamed, making a mental promise to murder the boy as soon as I found a place for the body.

"Yeah, they do that," Blinking slightly, I turned to face Valerie as she came up beside me, eyeing the boys in exasperation. "Disappear like that for no reason, I mean. Always come up with weird excuses, too." Valerie sighed. "Still, you learn to live with it, I guess, and they are great guys."

"Yeah," I said, shaking my head. "But I think Tucker timed that just to tick me off,"

"Don't count on that," Valerie laughed. "He's always had the worst timing imaginable. He's had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a matter of fact, for a long time everyone thought he was a jinx. They used to call him Bad Luck Tuck." I laughed at that.

"So have you two been dating long?" I asked.

"We're not dating," Valerie said. "I've got a part time job that takes up a lot of time, so I refuse to make anything official."

"Why not?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"The way I see it, why do something if you're not giving it your all?" Valerie asked. "A hundred percent or nothing, right? Besides, my job might make Tucker's life a little more… complicated."

"Complicated how?" I asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Valerie sighed. I rolled my eyes. What was with all the secrets?

_I'm starting to think this place would be perfect for a soap opera or something,_ I thought dryly as I saw the boys coming back.

"Hey there!" Tucker said cheerfully. "False alarm!" Shaking my head, I turned back to my date, who looked troubled.

"Danny?" I said. "You okay?" Danny blinked and sighed before looking away.

"Fine," he muttered. I frowned, glancing suspiciously at Tucker, who suddenly wouldn't meet my eyes either.

_Not him too…_ I thought in exasperation. Narrowing my eyes in determination, I grabbed Danny's hand.

"Come on!" I said, pulling him towards the dance floor. "I love this song!"

I didn't even notice until then that it was a slow song, no words or anything, just a steady, soothing beat for couples to dance to. I didn't care. Anything to get me and Danny away from everyone who was so against us being together.

"Sam," Danny started in a serious tone. "I don't think-!"

"Good," I cut him off, grinning. "Too much of that can hurt you, you know. Especially if you don't do it often." I got a ghost of a smile for a second before it was replaced with that solemn look again.

"I'm being serious, Sam," Danny said.

"So am I," I told him. And, before he could protest again, I blurted out. "Dance with me,"

"What?" Danny asked, surprised.

"Come on," I pleaded. "Just one dance, Danny, please?" Sighing in defeat, Danny took me by the waist and led me to the dance floor, where I slipped my arms around his shoulders, once again puzzling over how his skin was so chilled compared to mine. It was almost like the guy was a freakin' snowman…

I sighed happily as Danny started to lead me in the dance, resting my forehead on his shoulder.

"I shouldn't be doing this, Sam," He sighed in a tired voice.

"I know," I told him.

"…But I can't stop," He continued. I lifted my head, looking him right in the eyes.

"I know," I repeated. Swallowing, I steadied myself for what I was about to say, "Danny… If you want, I could disappear, you know. Leave you alone completely. I know your friends and family don't want us together, and I really don't care too much, but if you want, I'll walk away and never look back." I'd live a life of what-ifs, sure but look back? Nah… "Just say the word, Danny. Yes or no."

A second of silence passed. Then two. Three… It felt like a decade to me though, as I looked into his eyes, trying so hard to find his answer…

"No," Danny said at last. "I don't want that," I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, grinning sheepishly up at him.

"I just ticked off everyone you care about, huh?" I asked.

"No, I did," Danny said. "It was my choice Sam, I made it." He smiled back at me warmly, and then his eyes moved down from my eyes to my lips and my heart skipped.

_Is he gonna…?_ I didn't even have to finish the thought, when Danny stopped dancing and just stood there for a moment watching me. I felt my heart pound as he leaned in closer, my lips parting as I leaned in to meet him half way and my eyes going heavy…

Then, without warning, he jerked away, his eyes fixed on a point somewhere behind me filled with fear, horror and anger.

"Danny?" I said, concerned.

"I've got to go," He muttered, slipping away through the crowd.

"Danny!" I called after him, but he didn't respond. Puzzled, I turned to see what had gotten a reaction like that from Danny, and my eyes widened when they fell on the retreating back of the infamous Vlad Masters…


	12. Chapter 12

_You know, I really wish all those sexists jerks out there could get a load of this…_I thought in bemusement, watching Danny finish off washing the dishes.

"Don't they have maids around here?" I asked him as he turned the water off.

"Yeah," Danny sighed. "But I like doing stuff for myself. It keeps me busy. Besides, I don't like other people messing with my things. My mom hasn't even set foot in my room since I was eight,"

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I was the exact opposite. I was distracted easily by things I deemed more important, so it wasn't uncommon for my room to resemble a battlefield by the end of a single day, let alone the one a week a maid went through everything and cleaned up.

"Yeah, I think I got the neat freak thing from her. She goes nuts over the mess Dad leaves in the lab…" Danny laughed, shaking his head. "Jazz takes it to a whole new level, though. She even color codes her M&Ms before she eats them, and always eats the colors in the same order."

"You're kidding," I said skeptically.

"Red, blue, yellow, orange, green then brown," Danny recited with a grin, "I've teased her about it since we were kids." I had to laugh at that. It was just too cute, and so Danny…

"Well, we've all got our given 'weird thing.'" I chuckled. "It's what makes us unique. Like me, I can put mustard on anything and eat it,"

"Anything?" Danny asked, his eyebrow kicking up in doubt.

"I especially like buttered popcorn and mustard," I admitted. "It drives my mom up the walls,"

"Gross!" Danny laughed.

"What about you?" I asked. "What's your weird thing?" Danny got another of his weird looks at that, almost like there was something funny about me asking that.

"Well, I do like to put Ranch on my pizza," Danny admitted. "I like dipping French fries into it, too."

"Uugh!" I exclaimed, making a face. I hated Ranch dressing… "Okay, how about this; what's the weirdest thing anyone's ever said to you?" Danny frowned thoughtfully.

"…Well, I did have someone threaten to lay my pelt at the foot of their bed before…" He admitted at last.

…_Uuhhhh…_

"Don't ask," My roommate advised me, making a face, "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Noted," I said, shaking my head. Danny shifted around uncomfortably for a second.

"So, what are your plans over break?" the blue eyed boy asked me casually.

"Don't have any," I admitted. "I'm planning on just staying here,"

"That's no fun…" Danny said with a frown. "Why don't you come with me and Jazz to Vlad's?" I cringed slightly, fearing the rich snobby party to end all rich snobby parties…

"Uh, I dunno…" I said slowly.

"Aw, come on!" Danny protested. "I mean, it's better then sticking around here all alone right? And Liz is coming, too, so I can use another guy around to keep me company."

…_Ah, irony… You just gotta love it at times like these…_ I mused dryly.

"What about Tucker?" I asked.

"He's spending the holiday with his family." Danny admitted. "Normally, I'd go with him, but this year Vlad is actually having people over for Thanksgiving so I'm required to attend." Danny paused to make a face. "Apparently one is the daughter of some part of his company that he really wants to introduce me to."

_Hold up,_ I thought, my eyes widening, _One's a what now?_

"I'll come," I said instantly, trying to keep my face and voice calm and casual.

_There is no way I'll let some snobby little brat Danny obviously doesn't even want to be around to try and dig her claws into Danny!_ I thought furiously, my protective nature coming to play yet again. Only this time, I was protecting the guy I liked, not defenseless rabbits being tortured for modern science.

"Great!" Danny said, sounding relieved. "I know I'll need all the company I can get." I smiled and shook my head a little. But my smile faded as Danny jumped up to answer the ringing phone.

_I don't get it. _I thought, frowning slightly, _I mean, Danny punched out Dash to protect me. Why is he so scared of some rich guy in a bad suit…?_

"That was Tuck," Danny announced when he rejoin me while I was still pondering this. "He wants us to meet him down at the cyber café."

"Got it," I sighed, standing up. "Just don't force me to watch him consume another small farm."

"Deal," Danny laughed, grinning at me in amusement. Smiling back, the two of us headed to the door. I glanced at Danny every now and then as we walked silently down the halls.

_Well, it's now or never, _I thought wryly.

"So, Danny," I said out loud, "I heard you took a date to the Masquerade after all." I said it casually. Danny blushed brilliantly at the question.

"Ah, sort of," He admitted.

"Was it the girl from the drawing?" I asked.

"Yeah," Danny sighed, frowning. "Jazz is still mad at me for that," I flinched, a slight wave of guilt hitting me. After all, I never meant to test the Fenton sibling's bond, even if I didn't like the way Jazz was trying to force us apart…

"She's mad at you for liking a girl?" I clarified, raising an eyebrow.

"She is when me liking anybody means they're in constant danger," Danny said wryly.

"Danger of what?" I asked, getting a little annoyed at the secret-keeping.

"Vlad, for one," Danny confessed. "I don't even want to think of how he'd try to use anyone he thinks could be my weakness. He already tried with Jazz and Tucker, and I don't want him to hurt Sam." I blushed slightly, touched by his protective tone even as I was offended by it. After all, I could take care of myself just fine, even against someone as powerful as Vlad Masters.

"Well, that doesn't sound as bad as it could be." I said.

"Trust me, it's worse," Danny said dryly, running a hand through his hair absently. "Then there's the ghost thing…" I frowned at that, slowing down a little.

"Ghost thing?" I repeated. "What ghost thing?" Danny froze, rooted to the spot.

"Nothing," He said quickly, walking at a faster pace so I had to jog to keep up with his strides.

"It must be something, or it wouldn't be a problem," I pointed out, annoyed. Then I remembered something and frowned at him. "Wait, does this have anything to do with all those weapons in your room?"

"Those are just keepsakes," Danny reminded me. "What makes you think I'd even know how to use them?"

"The fact that both your parents are ghost hunters," I said shortly, glaring at him suspiciously as the pieces started to fall into place…

Danny opened his mouth to protest only to shiver violently, clapping both hands over his mouth moments later.

"I've gotta go," He muttered, ducking away before I could stop him. I scowled.

_One of these days I'm gonna corner him in a place where he can't disappear on me…_ I thought sullenly.

"Hey, you!"

Jumping in surprise, I wheeled around at the harsh, rude voice that interrupted my thoughts, my jaw dropping at the sight of the pop idol Ember McClain.

Floating three feet off the ground.

"You know where the dipstick is?" Ember asked me with a suspicious glare.

"The who?" I asked, blinking in shock. Ember rolled her eyes, huffing in annoyance.

"Dipstick!" She snapped. "Uugh… men. Living or Dead, they're all helpless…"

Again, irony.

"Listen, I don't know who you're talking about, alright?" I snapped, glaring back at her.

"Yeah right," Ember rolled her eyes. "I just saw you talking to him!" I frowned.

"Wait, you mean Danny?" I asked. "What do you want with Danny?"

"Because he's the loser who- OOF!" Whatever Ember was going to say was cut off by the ectoblast that sent her flying through a wall. Moments later, Danny Phantom appeared at my side.

"You might want to get out of here," He advised me. "Ember's no joke, so this could get ugly."

"But I-!" The ghost didn't wait to heed my protest, though, flying through the wall after Ember. "AAARGH!" I growled. "Why does every guy I try and talk to end up running off on me?"

_At least Phantom has a reason,_ I added in my mind, crossing my arms, _He fights ghosts. But Danny… just… _I froze, my eyes widening as it all came together.

Every time Danny took off, both when I was Samuel and Samantha, was almost directly before there was a ghost attack. Then seconds after the attack, Phantom would show up to kick some ghost butt and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Danny had a small arsenal stashed in his room, and a profile on that Ember girl (Who was obviously a ghost) on a computer he kept hidden from me. One of the things he was always asking me (Well, Samantha me) about was my feelings on Phantom, and Phantom in turn was always curious about my (Again, Samantha my) feelings on Danny.

_I am such an idiot! _I moaned in my head. _Why didn't I figure it out sooner?_ It was obvious, after all, if I thought about it. Especially considering who Danny's parents were and what they did. _Danny's a ghost hunter, _I realized, _And he's trying to hunt Phantom!_

"Sam!" Tucker said, grinning and waving as he came over. "We were starting to think you'd never show! Where's Danny?"

"That's what I'd like to know," I said shortly.

"Huh?" Tucker frowned. "I don't get it, wasn't he coming with you?"

"He was," I admitted. "Until about five seconds before I was attacked by a ghost named Ember," I narrowed my eyes as Tucker stiffened.

"Really?" Tucker said, a would-be innocent voice. "Wow that's weird."

"Yeah," I agreed, "Especially since he did that same thing right before that dragon ghost showed up, and that time before the dance when I found him a bloody mess in the living room," Tucker laughed nervously.

"Ah, you know Danny!" He said, his voice a little higher then normal.

"Actually, I'm starting to wonder if I do," I said shortly. I had to know once and for all if Danny and Phantom were enemies. If they were, it would put me in a really tough spot…

"Really?" Tucker asked again, "Ah, so, you wanna go meet everyone or what?"

"Tucker-!" I started, furious that even now he was trying to keep the secret from me. Tucker seemed to take a page out of Danny's book, though, taking off through the crowd to where I could see Liz and Jazz sitting, talking to someone else.

_Great, _I thought darkly, _As if I didn't have to put up with enough right now as it is…_I sighed, making my way over to the table. Maybe Jazz would be more willing to sit still then Danny or Tucker…

"SAM!" jumping, I looked up and gasped, paling when I saw the other three girls sitting with Liz, Jazz and Valerie, all of which were staring at me in shock.

"Megan?" I said, _"Lisa? __**Tina?"**_

…_Aw, crap._

"You know my cousin?" Tucker asked me in surprise. I flinched.

"Yes!" I said loudly. "We, ah, we met one time over at my Aunt's house!"

"You mean Matt's family?" Liz clarified, "You guys never said you knew the Mansons…" Tina looked from me to her cousin and then to Liz while Megan and Lisa just stared.

"Yeah," Tina said at last, "We know Matt's sister. She used to go to school with us." She turned back and gave me a big smile. "Anyways it's nice to meet you again."

_Aw, crap am I in trouble…_I thought, trying to turn my cringe into a smile.

"Can you excuse us for a second?" Tina grabbed Lisa's wrist then mind, and Megan hastily followed as we made are way over to a secluded part of the café. "Are you INSANE?"

_Funny how many times I've been asked that since coming here…_ I thought dryly.

"So that WAS your roommate on the TV!" Megan said triumphantly, "I thought so, but Tina said-!"

"Forget him, Megan," Tina growled, "We'll get back to that after we figure out what the hell Sam is thinking,"

"Come on, guys," I sighed, "You know Casper is the last place my family would look for me,"

"So you pretend to be a boy to get in?" Tina snorted, "Nice."

"Please don't tell anyone," I begged, "Jazz knows, and so does Matt, but no one else does."

"What about your roomie?" Lisa asked.

"He thinks I'm a guy too," I sighed. "Well, at least this me…"

"This you?" Tina repeated, "What do you-?" She stopped, her eyes widening as she groaned. "Sam, you didn't…"

"Only on weekends," I protested, "And only for my job."

"SAM!" Tina scowled, "How reckless can you get? All this for a guy? That's not like you, Sam!"

"It's not just for Danny!" I protested, stiffening, "…Well, not all of it,"

"Girl you really ARE insane," Tina said with a glare. "Do you really think you can fool everyone forever?"

"No," I said honestly, "But I can buy time until I can think of something else. And besides, something's going on here and I want to find out what,"

"And I suppose the added bonus of the huge scandal this will cause once you're ousted is an added bonus," Tina said dryly. I blinked at her before grinning.

"Hey, I never thought of that…" I said, at which Tina rolled her eyes.

"We'd better get back, Girls," Megan said, frowning, "Your cousin keeps looking over here, Tina."

"Yeah, yeah…" Tina sighed, "Come on, Sam, we'll talk about this more later." And with that, Tina grabbed my arm again and pulled be back to the table.

_Well, at least I've got some support now…_I thought wryly.

"So this roommate of yours…" Megan said casually, "He is single, right?"

…_or not._

I sighed as I finished drying my hair with my towel, looking at myself in the mirror.

I'd decided to take advantage of another late night (Of ghost hunting, most likely) of Danny's by bathing and thinking about everything that'd happened that day. I needed to sit down and think after all that drama, after all…

While my friend's sudden appearance was a pleasant surprise after Tina finally forgave me (It took a large sundae and a pizza, but I finally made her come around.) it also took me away from my original line of thoughts. I'd completely forgotten to question Jazz on the whole Ghost Hunter thing.

_Knowing them, they'll have a story figured out that they all agree on before Danny gets home…_I thought sullenly, throwing my towel into the dirty laundry hamper and walking out into the living room. _I'll have to catch him in the act of hunting a ghost, it's the only way I'll get the truth._

Just then, the door opened and I turned instinctively to see who it was.

"Hey Sam, I need to… to… too…" I blinked at Tucker's suddenly pale face in confusion before I realized I'd forgotten something after bathing and before putting on my clothes.

My bandages for my chest.

_Oh no…'_I thought, my eyes going wide, _Please, please no…_


	13. Chapter 13

"…So now you're pretending to be a guy to hide from your parents?" Tucker clarified.

"Pretty much," I admitted, sighing.

"…This is so messed up…"

I had to agree with that one, glancing down at my boy-ified reflection. After Tucker had passed out, I pulled him into the room and laid him on the couch before rushing back to the bathroom to correct my mistake. When Tucker woke up ten minutes later, I tried to convince him he's been dreaming, but didn't have any luck, so was forced to come clean about everything.

"Wait, do you have anything to do with the other Sam?" Tucker asked suspiciously.

…Well, almost everything.

"Other Sam?" I asked with a nervous laugh, "What other Sam?"

"The one Danny took to the masquerade." Tucker said dryly, suspicion making his eyes narrow. "I thought it was weird how you two kinda looked alike!"

"You noticed?" I said, my eyebrow kicking up. After all, Danny hadn't…

"Well, actually Liz did," Tucker admitted. "She pointed it out, and Valerie and I saw it when we really started looking."

"Was Danny there?" I asked anxiously.

"It was after he went off looking for you." Tucker said. "So it is you then!" Tucker's triumphant grin faded into a confused look. "Wait, I don't get it, why would you…?" I blushed, sensing where Tucker was going with the question.

"Well, I've gotten to know Danny since I moved in here." I said, not meeting Tucker's eyes, "And… well… I guess I kinda like him. A lot." Tucker gaped at me for a moment before he started laughing hysterically.

"Oh, man!" Tucker laughed, "This is too good to be true! You and Danny really are perfect for one another!" I felt my face fill with color at that.

"Tucker!" I growled, "Not so loud! You're going to get me into trouble!"

"S-sorry…" Tucker snickered, "it's just… Oh, man!"

"Uhhhh…" I shook my head in disgust. Though a part of me was actually glad that unlike Jazz, Tucker accepted my feelings for Danny, and even supported them. More then a little curious, I had to ask; "What makes you say that, anyways?"

"You're both really uncomfortable talking about your feelings for one." Tucker said, "And I know for a fact that Danny's completely gaga over you…"

"Really?" I asked, smiling slightly and blushing, happy to hear this bit of news "He said that?"

"Well, he didn't say those words exactly," Tucker admitted, "But he does talk about you all the time, whether I wanna hear it or not. He says you're the coolest girl he's ever met."

"He said that?" I said, smiling brightly at Tucker, "Really?"

"Yep," Tucker nodded, "Actually, he had a whole list of reasons he liked you. He says you're pretty, nice, smart, fun…"

I blushed, and asked, "Why are you telling me this, anyways?"

"Retaliation," Tucker responded, "He talked my ear off about you, so now I get to take revenge."

I had to laugh at that.

"You're a cruel, cruel friend, Tuck," I chuckled lightly.

"Hey, a guy's gotta get revenge somehow!" Tucker said defensively, "And how else am I supposed to hold my own against a guy who fights gho-!" Tucker cut himself off, paling slightly, "…Going to his ultra rich guardian's place! Vlad's really persistent, you know…"

"I can imagine," I said with a dry look. "There's no reason to pretend anymore, Tucker, I've figured it all out." Tucker gaped at me.

"You have?" He asked, shock clear in his voice. I was a little insulted. Did he really think I was blind or something?

"Well, it's kind of obvious," I said pointedly, "Especially if you live with the guy." Tucker laughed nervously.

"Obvious?" He squeaked out, "What's obvious?"

"Only that Danny's a ghost hunter trying to capture Phantom," I said with a slight glare.

"Look, I swear he wanted to tell you but… wait… WHAT?" Tucker's jaw dropped and he stared at me as if I'd just sprouted a second head.

"What you didn't think I could tell?" I sighed, "The late nights, the fighting skills, the ghost hunting equipment… and every time he disappears on me, Phantom shows up only a few seconds later!" I ticked each reason off on a finger tip. I frowned at Tucker over my open hand. "What's the big deal, anyways? I mean, does Danny blame Phantom for his parent's going missing or something?" I waited a few seconds for Tucker to answer, but his shocked expression never faded, and I was starting to get a little worried. "Uh, Tucker? Are you okay?"

"You…" Tucker said at last, his tone slow and his eyes wide, "You think Danny…"

"Don't cover for him," I said, annoyance working its way into my voice, "I mean, why else would the ghosts target him more then any other student? It can't be just because of his parents, or else they'd be going after Jazz, too," I crossed my arms, giving Tucker a pointed look. I wasn't as stupid as they obviously thought I was… "Well? Are you going to answer me, or do I have to ask Danny when he gets home?" I was planning on questioning him anyways, but I wanted to hear Tucker's version first.

"…You think Danny…?" Tucker said again, before he reacted in a way I never would've dreamed of.

He started to laugh.

It started out small chuckles, but soon he was rolling on the ground, rolling with laugher and crying as he gripped his ribs.

_What the hell? _I thought, confused. Either Tucker was a really good actor, or my guess was WAY off…

"You okay, Tucker?" I asked in concern, eyeing the guy warily.

"Hehe… D-Danny… Phantom… Hunter… HAHAHAHA!"

"…I'll take that as a no," I sighed glaring at the boy and blushing slightly.

_Maybe I was wrong… maybe Danny was just a normal high school kid…_

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Sam, are you in there? It's an emergency!" I blinked in surprise as Megan's voice floated through the door, and seeing that Tucker was still otherwise detained, I stood up and opened the door to see what she wanted.

And froze at the sight that greeted me.

Megan stood there, supporting a beaten and bloody Danny who seemed to lack the ability to meet my eyes.

"Danny?" I said, my eyes going wide. "What-?"

"Can we come in before you start quizzing him?" Megan asked irritably, "He's kind of in bad shape here, you know." I glared at her, my eyes narrowing as they turned back to my roommate.

_And maybe Tucker just won a spot on American Idol,'_I thought dryly as I pursed my lips and opened the door wider to allow them to pass, _Something's going on here, and Danny's definitely the center of it!_

"Are you gonna stop glaring at me any time soon, Sam?" Megan asked as she shot me an annoyed look. "I wasn't the one who did this, and I'm not leaving until I know he's okay."

_Yeah, and his bank account number,_ I thought sourly. Out loud, though, I said nothing, my glare never relenting.

"I'll call you with an update," I told her. "You're going to get into trouble if you miss curfew."

"Tina's got it covered." Megan responded airily. "She was with me when we found Danny lying around half dead. She went back for help, but Danny said he didn't want to go to the hospital so I brought him here. By the way, she wanted the phone number to your dorm. Apparently there's something she needs to tell you about the detectives."

"Detectives?" I repeated blankly. "What detectives?"

"The ones hired by your parents to find you," Megan said, raising an eyebrow at me. "What, did you forget you're a runaway?"

"No!" I said sharply, my glare intensifying.

…_Yes…_

"Anyways, what about them?" I asked irritably.

"Ask Tina," Megan told me airily. "She's the one keeping track of all that,"

"Fine," I sighed sullenly, jotting the number for my and Danny's phone on the back of a paper that was lying nearby and handing it to Megan. She took it, read the digits and flipped it over.

"…What's this?"

"What's-?" I froze, my face paling.

I'd accidentally written the number on the back of Danny's picture of me from detention.

"That's mine!" I said, making a grab for the paper. Megan held it out of my grasp.

"This isn't how you draw, Sam," She said, glaring slightly.

"It was given to me, okay?"

"And who would give you a picture of you?" her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at the question and my scowl became more fierce.

"Give it back, Megan," I growled in warning. Rolling her eyes dramatically, Megan handed the paper back. I sighed in relief once it was back in my possession, putting it in my English book for safe keeping until I could hide it somewhere else before turning back to write out my number again on another (clean) piece of paper.

"He's a good artist," Megan said casually as she folded the paper up and slipped it in her jeans pocket.

"Who?" I asked.

"Danny," Megan said as if it were obvious. "He's the one who drew that, isn't he?" I glared at her.

"And if he is?" I said evenly.

"What's the matter, Sam?" Megan smirked. "Scared of a little competition?"

"This isn't a game, Megan," I snapped, "I really like Danny, and I won't let you use him."

"And what makes you think I don't like him too?" Megan asked. "He's a cute guy."

"The fact that that's all you care about, for one," I said dryly, "You don't know a thing about him!"

"At least I haven't lied to his face," Megan countered. "You on the other hand have deceived him not only as his roommate, but also as his girlfriend." I scowled.

"And what makes you think I wasn't planning on telling him, huh?" I asked, jumping to my feet.

"You don't have the courage." Megan said confidently, not even flinching from my glare. "Not when you know that it means you'll lose him like that. I mean, can you honestly see Danny wanting to date someone who lied to him about everything he liked about them?"

"You think I lied to get Danny to like me?" I asked, my jaw dropping.

"You lied to become his roommate," Megan reminded me evenly, "You lied to him as his date. Do you honestly expect him to believe anything you told him is true after that?" I blanched.

As much as I hated to admit it, Megan had a point there…

_All the more reason to end this now… _I thought to myself, _The longer it drags on, the more lies. The more lies, the more right she becomes… _But what is that didn't work? What is he still hated me for tricking him like that?

"Danny's fine," Tucker announced to us as he came into the room, "He's going to bed now, and I suggest you ladies do the same." I scowled a little at the 'ladies' remark, especially when Megan sent a pointed look my way before standing and sauntering to the door.

"Tell Danny I'll see him around," She called out tauntingly as she closed the door behind her. Our eyes met one last time before the door shut, and the meaning behind that glint was obvious to me.

_This means war…_

"You're overreacting, Sam," Tina told me as she finished off her drink, "I mean, why would Megan be interested in Danny is she knows how much you like him? It's probably just harmless flirting."

"I'm telling you, she more or less challenged me!" I snapped back, glaring at the table of the Nasty Burger.

I'd just ended work for the day and was hanging out as Samantha for once, catching a bite with Tina while she filled me in on everything that had happened since I'd been gone. I told her about my little clash with Megan last night, hoping for a little sympathy, but Tina was reluctant to choose a side.

_I guess it's a little unfair to ask her to make that choice…_I decided reluctantly. Sighing, I changed the subject to more neutral grounds.

"Anyways, Megan mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something about the detectives?" I said questioningly, raising an eyebrow at her. Tina looked confused.

"I do?" She asked, bewildered.

"Yeah," I said, frowning at this reaction, "Megan said you asked for my phone-!" I stopped, groaning.

_Of course. _I thought sourly, _It's not just _**my**_ phone number now, is it? _Next time I got a hold of Megan…

"Never mind," I sighed, standing up. "I've gotta get back to the school. See you around, Tina,"

"Sam?" Tina called, making me stop and turn back to her questioningly. "…Be careful. About this whole Phantom thing I mean. Something about it feels really weird, and I don't like it." I smiled a little at her worry over my safety.

"Relax, Tina," I assured her, "I'll be fine. Phantom won't hurt me."

"Phantom's not the one I'm worried about…" Tina muttered.

"I can look after myself, Tina," I reminded my friend.

_And Phantom will look out for me, too,_ I added in my head as I left. I blinked when the object in my skirt pocket started to vibrate softly before rolling my eyes. _Speak of the devil…_

Glancing around, I walked of casually to a nearby alleyway, which was secluded from the bustling crowd of shoppers. I stopped in the middle of the alley, slipping my hand into the pocket to grasp the device.

"You can come out now," I called, turning to smile knowingly at a spot behind me. Seconds later, Phantom appeared floating in that spot, eyeing me curiously.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked. I took my hand out, revealing the small, rectangular contraption I'd been concealing. It had a small screen with Phantom's picture on it, and it was still buzzing softly in my grasp.

"It's some kind of ghost detection device I think," I explained.

"That's the Fenton Finder 2.0!" Phantom declared, looking alarmed, "How did you get that?"

_I snagged it from my roommate who thinks I'm a boy, _ I answered dryly in my head.

"Uh, Internet?" Phantom gave me a doubtful look at that pitiful answer. "Wanna tell me why you were following me?"

"What makes you think I was-?" a dry look from me cut the ghost off, and he sighed in defeat. "…I was just making sure you were okay. There's a threat on you life now, ever since your date with m- Fenton."

"Danny's not a danger to me," I defended my crush sharply, "Look, even if he's tried to hunt you or whatever, he's a really nice guy."

"I never said he- Wait, what?" Phantom blinked, looking shocked, "What makes you think Fenton's a ghost hunter?"

"Hmm, let's review, shall we?" I said dryly, holding up a hand to once more tick off the points on my finger tips. "Point One; All of Danny's family hunts ghosts, with the exception of Jazz. Point Two; Danny has an arsenal in his room to take out an army of ghosts. Point Three; Every time Danny takes off on me, a ghost appears a few seconds later… well, except for the Vlad thing, but that was obvious." I crossed my arms, giving Phantom a dry look. "I'm not stupid, you know,"

"I never said you were," Phantom said quickly.

"So you're not even going to deny it?" I pressed. Phantom hesitated for a moment.

"No," He said after a while, "I won't. Fenton is a ghost hunter… but he's never tried to hunt me."

"Really?" I said, relief washing over me. Phantom caught this and smirked playfully.

"What, were you worried for me?" He teased. I blushed slightly.

"So what if I was?" I countered, glaring at him mockingly. Phantom laughed, and I relaxed a little at the sound. That's when I was seized by a sudden courage that made me step forward and grab Phantom's hand. "You know what? Let's go somewhere!"

"What?" Phantom said, startled.

"Let's go somewhere!" I repeated, "Just hang out, you know? We could catch a movie, then head down to that carnival they're having!"

"I dunno, Sam," Phantom said doubtfully. "I mean, I'm kinda… well…" He eyed a nearby Wanted poster bearing his resemblance, and I winced.

_Good point…_ I thought to myself.

"I've got a friend who's really into fashion," I told him, "She can fix you up so no one can recognize you." Phantom frowned suspiciously.

"Uh, what's this friend's name?" He asked warily.

"Lisa," I answered, "Why?" The ghost relaxed.

"No reason," He replied before sighing and giving me a defeated grin, "What the heck, I've got nothing better to do,"

"That's the spirit!" I said, dragging him away again, towards the ally way's entrance. "Come on, we need to get to Wendy so Lisa can-!" I screeched, gripping frantically when Phantom suddenly swept me against him with one arm, shooting into the air. Blushing, I turned to glare at the ghost, "You wanna give me a little warning next time?"

"Sorry," Phantom said, though it didn't sound as heartfelt as it could've been.

_Jerk…_ I thought, rolling my eyes before glowering at the ghost.

"Hey, Sam?" Phantom said, frowning at me curiously after a moment.

"Hm?" I grunted, stubbornly refusing to come out of my sulking.

"When did you ever go into Fenton's room, anyways?" I blinked at the question.

…_Crap._


	14. Chapter 14

"…So you went over to check on Fenton, but he wasn't there and his roommate Sam let you in?" Phantom clarified when I finished my bogus excuse. I trusted Phantom, but a part of me really wanted Danny to know first, and that was only after I got used to having so many people around who knew.

"Yep," I confirmed, "Really nice guy, by the way. I found the Fenton Finder lying around in his room and thought it looked cool."

"You went into his room?" Phantom squeaked out, blushing for some reason, "Ah, was this before or after he cleaned? You know, just out of curiosity…" I raised an eyebrow at him as he laughed nervously.

"There's the Dorm," I said, pointing down. "Take us in and I'll bring us to Lisa."

"Got it," Phantom said, phasing us through the wall. I was almost getting used to the sensation by now. He set me down in the hall and flew after me as I walked down the corridor to find my friend's room. When I finally spotted it, I walked over preparing to knock, when the temptation overwhelmed me and I turned to face Phantom again.

"Before," I told him, keeping my face straight. "And I bet those red boxers with the white polka dots look good on him, too,"

Turning back round, I knocked to get my friend's attention, but not before seeing the absolute brilliant blush I got from Phantom. I bit my lip hard to keep my laugher in check.

_Guys are so touchy…_ I thought, bemused.

"You might wanna go invisible," I advised him. "I don't know if her roomie's in or not, or how she'll react to seeing a ghost at her front door for that matter, so…"

"Got it," Phantom said, disappearing a moment later. And not a moment too soon, either. Just then the door swung open and Lisa blinked out at me.

"Sam?" She said, surprise clear in her voice.

"Hey, Lisa!" I said brightly, "Got a minute? You roommate's not home, is she?"

"Uh, sure," Lisa said, stepping aside to let me in, "And no, she's at some club thing, but-!"

"Great!" I said, charging in. I was never one to waste time, and I wasn't sure if that invisibility thing had a time limit. (Mental note to ask Phantom about that later.) "Anyways, I have a huge favor to ask you…"

"Well, I'd be happy to help," Lisa said with a confused, hesitant smile, "What's the problem?"

"Well…" I said, closing the door behind me. "It's not really my problem, it's my friend's…"

"Friend?" Lisa said, "What-?" She eyes widened and her jaw dropped as Phantom turned visible again.

"Lisa," I said pleasantly, "Meet Phantom, the superhero in this town. He's the ghost you've been hearing so much about. Well, one of, I'm sure…"

"Hello," Phantom said with a warm smile, holding out a hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you," Lisa said, blinking in a stunned sort of way as she took his hand.

"I was kind of hoping we could head out to the carnival they're having this weekend at the edge of town," I explained, "Only Phantom's a little conspicuous, so I was hoping…"

"You wanted me to make him a disguise?" Lisa realized brightening, "Well, that sounds like fun! Especially since I have help now, too!" Huh? I frowned at Lisa, a little confused at that one.

"Help?" I repeated.

"Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you earlier," Lisa said brightly, "I have company over. It turned out she's really into fashion, too, so we were just comparing some sketches and stuff. She's really good!" Before either me or Phantom could say anything, the door leading into the kitchen opened and a familiar girl came out.

"Lisa, I can't find the-" Liz stopped in her tracks at the sight of me and Phantom standing there together, blinking back at her in shock. "…Do I wanna know what's going on here?"

"Sam wants us to give her new friend Phantom a make-over!" Lisa said brightly. I raised an eyebrow when the ghost in question suddenly paled rapidly.

"Aw, hell…" He muttered, backing away slightly. I didn't have to wonder about that reaction for too long, catching the gleam in Liz's eyes.

"Really…" she drawled out in a way that scared me a little, grinning widely at Phantom. "Well, I can do that!"

"No!" Phantom said quickly, horror flashing across his face, "Ah, I mean… maybe this isn't such a good idea…" A strange, surprised look crossed Liz's face for as moment before she grinned widely again, grabbing the ghost before he could make his get away and hauling him into another room.

"Nonsense!" She chirped out, "Now just relax and leave everything to me, ghost-boy. You're in Lizella Cartel's world now, and there's no escape!"

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Phantom muttered.

"What was that?" Liz asked, somehow making her tone cheerful and threatening at the same time.

"Nothing!" Phantom said instantly. Lisa and I were left staring when the door slammed shut behind them.

"Well," I said, breaking the silence, "That wasn't normal…"

"Neither is showing up at someone's front door with a ghost, Sam," Lisa reminded me with a small chuckle. "Anything you want to tell me about?" I sighed heavily.

"He saved me a few time, okay?" I told my friend, rubbing my eyes, "And he always seems so stressed out, so I figured he could take a break from the hero bit to just be a normal kid for the day." I smiled wryly when I caught the irony of my wording, "Well, as normal as an undead superhero can be, at any rate,"

"Really?" Lisa blinked. "But I thought you liked Danny?"

"I do!" I said at once, "I do like Danny! Phantom… well, he's… I…" Wow, I sounded really articulate right now… "…I don't know…" Lisa giggled.

"Well, good luck with that," She told me, amused. "While you work out your love life, I'm gonna help Liz turn your ghost friend into a walking masterpiece!"

I blinked as my friend rushed to join Liz and Phantom, shaking my head when I heard startled yelps coming from behind the door, along with two different sets of voice giggling. Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but grin at my hero's misfortune.

"Designers…" I said, laughing.

"Sam, I want to thank you for this rare, once in a lifetime opportunity," Liz announced happily as she left the room about half an hour later, Lisa right behind her.

"Once in a lifetime?" I repeated, blinking.

"Of course," Liz said brightly, "You don't honestly think there's a snowball's chance in hell Phantom's gonna let me play dress up with him again, do you?" I managed to turn my laugh into a subtle cough at the last minute, covering my mouth with my hand to hide my smile.

_Something tells me it's gonna take a lot to get Phantom to forgive me for brining him here…_ I realized as I began to gain control over my laugher. I wasn't too worried, though. Phantom didn't seem like the type to hold a grudge over little things like that. He was way too easy going.

"Anyways," Lisa giggled, "Liz and I are proud to present-!"

"-The fruit of our strenuous labor-" Liz added for the sake of being dramatic.

"The newest cutie in Amity, Tom Phan!" I raised an eyebrow at the name as Lisa opened the door again.

_Oh, they really thought THAT one out…_ I said sarcastically to myself.

As soon as I saw 'Tom Phan,' though, his name was the last thought on my mind.

Liz and Lisa really had outdone themselves on Phantom, dressing him up in a black t-shirt with a grinning, fanged skull and crossbones on the front, and a black choker lined with silver studs clasped around his neck. The choker had a silver symbol on it that dangled from the front, a flying D-in-a-P. Black cords designed to look like barbwire were tied around his left wrist, and a false tattoo had been stuck onto his right bicep, one that looked almost like a circlet of thorns. Three earrings were in his left ear, and two in his right and his silver hair had been partially mashed down by a black baseball cap he wore backwards. His eyes were concealed by dark sunglasses, making his face look even paler then it was. Well, other then the brilliant blush that wasn't doing much better under my scrutiny.

The portion of the outfit that was clearly all Lisa was the tight dark blue jeans over the dark brown steel-toed combat boots with the silver chain hanging from the right belt loop to his pocket. She's always had something of a weakness for a cute guy's butt, something I never though I'd actually be thankful for.

"Well?" Lisa asked me eagerly, "What do you think? Normal AND gorgeous, right?"

"You…" I said at last, still gaping slightly, "You look… wow! Nice job, girls!" Liz and Lisa beamed at each other in pride.

"Hear that?" Liz said to Phantom, smirking slightly, "SHE likes it!" Phantom's blush darkened and he scowled at the older girl.

"So?" He asked sullenly, "That doesn't mean you're off the hook!"

"Well, you two had better go," Lisa said, giggling and shooting me a knowing look.

"Have fun, kids!" Liz said sweetly, "And remember, don't do anything I'd do!"

"No worried there…" Phantom said under his breath. I smirked at him a little as I left, raising an eyebrow knowingly.

_Something tells me he and Liz know each other,_ I thought as I left with Phantom. That's when it came back to me._ Oh, duh! If Phantom and Danny know each other, and Danny's sister is Liz's best friend, of course there's a chance they met!_ I paused to think about what I'd just thought. _That's one of those weird web of connections, isn't it?_ After a while, though, I shrugged all these thoughts away.

"So," I said, turning to Phantom, "Was that really as bad as it sounded?" Phantom scowled at me darkly in return.

"Let's just say I never would've thought it was even possible to be molested by two girls in so many different ways in such a short amount of time," He responded dryly. I laughed at that.

"Oh, I don't know about that," I teased. "Give Paulina ten minutes and I'm sure she'll top 'em both!" Giggling to myself, I rushed ahead before he had the chance to work that out.

"…SAM!"

"Come on, folks, don't be shy, take a whack at it!" The announcer called out loudly to the crowd around him. "You there! How about winning a prize for the lovely lady?" I blinked when I realized he was addressing Phantom before my eyes narrowed slightly when I caught what he'd just said.

"Uh-!" Phantom started, cringing.

"Actually," I said loudly, stepping in front of him, "Ever think that the 'lovely lady,' wants to take a whack at it herself?"

_Even though she'd much rather take a whack at you,_ I added menacingly in my head, _No good, cocky, sexist-!_

"Hear that, folks?" He called out loudly, grinning around him, "The little lady wants a shot!" I felt my face burn in fury as the crowd laughed openly at that, my red hot anger clouding my thoughts.

"Sam," Phantom whispered into my ear, "You really shouldn't… the game is-!"

"Gimme that mallet!" I snapped at the announcer, shoving the money into his hands. Behind me, Phantom sighed heavily, leaning against a pole as I stepped up to the 'Ring the Bell' game.

Lifting the mallet over my head, I swung it down with all my might, watching the red cylinder shoot up to not only hit the bell, but knock it clear off the game, sending it crashing to the ground.

And the cylinder still kept climbing higher.

_Whoa… _I though, blinking at the bell in the stunned silence that followed, _I can do that?'_Behind me, Phantom called out to the announcer, sounding amused.

"You know, this may just be a guess," He said, "But I think that one earns a prize," My lips thin as I realized what must have happened.

"Keep it," I told the announcer shortly, shoving the mallet into his arms, "And next time, think before you laugh at a girl like that, or else the next thing that mallet's gonna hit is your head." I stormed away, grabbing Phantom by the wrist and dragging him somewhere private, ignoring his yelp of surprise.

"Uh, Sam?" Phantom questioned, "Are you okay?" My lips thinned even more as I wheeled around to glare at Phantom.

"You did something, didn't you?" I snapped at him accusingly, pointing a finger into his face, "You did something and that's why it went so high!" Phantom looked alarmed for a second, then guilty.

"No!" He said nervously, "What makes you think that?"

"Phantom…" I warned, my glare darkening. The ghost sighed.

"Well… I might've given it a little push…" He admitted. I scowled at him.

"Why would you do that?" I asked heatedly, "I can do things myself, Phantom, I don't need you helping me cheat like that!"

"I never said you couldn't!" Phantom said quickly, "But-!"

"But nothing!" I crossed my arms and turned away from the ghost. "What in the world made you think it was okay to cheat like that in my name, huh? Did you think something like that would impress me? Showing off?"

"No!" Phantom said, glaring at me now, "That wasn't why I did it, Sam!"

"Then why, huh?" I asked, not bothering to lower my voice.

"Because he was cheating!" Phantom hissed at me, the words strained through his clenched teeth. "That cylinder was weighted down with lead, and there was a stopper near the top so it couldn't make it all the way up!" I stared at him blankly as he told me this.

"There was?" I said, blinking at him, "How did you know that?" Phantom blushed.

"I just…" he sighed loudly, "I don't know, okay? It was kind of a weird thing where I could just tell all of this stuff when I shouldn't have known it at all….A new power I think."

"A new power?" I repeated, "You mean, you don't just have the powers you get when you die? You can still learn new powers now?"

"Yeah," Phantom sighed, "This one's kinda like another sixth sense, I guess."

"That's so cool!" I said, grinning, all of my previous anger forgotten."So, do you get your powers after you get to a certain point, or are there set intervals or something?"

Phantom blinked at me. "Uh, I dunno," He admitted, "They just kinda… happen. One second it's normal and the next, I'm shooting ice beams from my eyes."

"That sounds like fun," I said, grinning. "So how many powers do you have anyways?" Phantom stared at me, then laughed a little to himself.

"You're not like other girls, Sam," he told me through his grin.

"Tell me something I don't know," I said, grinning. Shaking my head, I pulled at his arm, "Anyways, come on! There's a ride I saw that I to try out!"

"Really?" Phantom's eyebrow raised, "What kind of ride?"

"You'll see!" I laughed, dragging him through the crowd.

_This is gonna be fun…_


	15. Chapter 15

"Spawn of Satan?" Phantom blinked and raised an eyebrow as he read the name of the ride we were in line for. "That sounds cheery…"

"I hear this is one of the most intense roller coasters in the world!" I told him, grinning, "It's so fast, three out of four people have to have their spinal cords realigned after riding it," Instead of looking queasy at this thought as my friends back home tended to get whenever I said things like this, Phantom merely shrugged, looking unfazed.

"Can't be any worse then being dragged around by an enraged dragon ghost bareback through a crowded mall by the foot it has in its jaws." The ghost pointed out dryly. I made a face and crossed my arms.

"You're no fun…" I grumbled darkly. Phantom laughed as we moved forward, nearing the front of the line. Shaking my head, I smirked at the superhero, "Okay, tough guy, what's your favorite horror movie?"

"Would you smack me if I told you it was Sixth Sense?" Phantom asked innocently.

"Probably," I answered honestly, bemused despite myself. I couldn't help but think that not many people saw this side of Phantom, the playful, teasing ghost that just wanted to have fun. It was cool how he was willing to fight off the bad guys and all, but even superheroes deserved a day to themselves. "Seriously, though."

"Seriously?" Phantom frowned thoughtfully. "I'd have to say Silence of the Lambs. I'm a sucker for Steven King…" I brightened at that.

"Me too!" I said enthusiastically, "I must've read Salem's Lot a million times!"

"Really?" Phantom laughed, "I liked Firestarter better… though Cujo was my second favorite."

"Next!" The attendant of the ride called out in a bored voice. A little disappointed to have our conversation cut short but already feeling the adrenalin rush of a true roller coaster junkie, I stepped forward, dragging Phantom with me by the wrist. It was only when we sat down and buckled up that I heard the familiar voice from somewhere behind us.

"You okay, Val?" I froze up when I realized that it was Tucker I heard, glancing over at Phantom in concern when I saw him freeze up, going dangerously pale.

"Ah, fine," I heard Valerie respond to Tucker, "It's just… well, never mind, it's nothing." I raised an eyebrow as Phantom went a dark shade of red, ducking down as far as he could in his seat.

_'Well that's not normal…'_ I thought to myself.

"Is there a problem?" I asked the ghost, wondering what could've made him react like that. It was just Tucker and Valerie, after all…

"No," Phantom said softly, sounding as though he was purposely trying to keep his voice from being recognized. "Everything's fine!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at that.

_'Yeah, because you really sound fine…' _I thought sarcastically before sighing and deciding to let it drop until we managed to slip out of the hearing range of Danny's closest friends.

Still, as the assistant droned on with the usual warnings, I couldn't help but wonder exactly why Phantom would have a problem with Danny's friends if he and Danny were friends, too…?

_'Maybe the connection between Phantom and Fenton is different then I thought…'_ I glanced at Phantom as the ride jerked forward. _'And if it is, I have to find out what their relationship is…'_

"I think that girl right in front of my blew out my ears…" Phantom griped as he made a face and rubbed his ears. I laughed at the ghost's action, linking my arm with his.

"Aw, come on," I teased, "Don't tell me you're that much of a wimp? I would've thought you'd be used to people screaming around you by now…" Phantom shot me a dirty look at that.

"Thanks," He said wryly, making me laugh some more. "You really know how to make a guy feel loved…"

"What can I say, it's a gift," I sang out with a grin as we walked away towards the food court, "Hungry?"

"Starved," Phantom responded, sounding bemused. "You?"

"I could go for a salad." I said, steering the ghost over to one of the free tables. Phantom raised an eyebrow at me.

"Just a salad?" He asked, "That's it? No wonder you're so small…" Phantom paused then and cringed, blushing vividly "Ah… I, uh, didn't mean that the way that sounded…"

"Relax," I laughed at the ghost's nervousness, "I'm not big on the whole body image thing anyways. The reason I eat salad is because I'm a strict ultra-recyclo vegetarian."

"Come again?" Phantom said, blinking at me questioningly. I grinned a little at the reaction the title usually got when I announced it.

"Ultra-recyclo vegetarian," I repeated, "I don't eat anything with a face,"

"I thought that was a Vegan?" Phantom said, sounding confused. I was honestly impressed that the ghost knew that much about vegetarianism.

"There's a few differences," I told him, "Vegans don't eat any animal products whatsoever, no milk, no cheese, no eggs. I still have some dairy, but no eggs and everything I eat is organic."

"Uh, okay…" Phantom said, still sounding a little confused. I smiled a little at how cute this made him look.

"Too much for you to handle?" I teased. Phantom rolled his eyes and shot me a pointed look.

"Cute," He said dryly. "And no, it wasn't. I was just wondering why every one of the two Sams I know is a vegetarian."

_'…Oops.' _I thought, cringing. _'Hey, wait a second…'_

"How did you know that Danny's roommate was a vegetarian too?" I asked him with a curious glance. The ghost froze up.

"Uh…" he said, "Danny told me?" I wasn't quite sure if I believed that, but at the same time I knew what if I questioned it, I would probably only succeed in driving the skittish ghost teen away from me, so despite my curiosity, I let it drop.

"Anyways, I don't have any money on me right now, so you're probably going to have to foot the bill this time," The ghost gave me a guilty smile, "I'd help, but I don't exactly carry my wallet in my hazmat…"

"That's cool with me," I said, standing up and pulling out my money, "I mean, it's not like this is the Middle Ages or something… What should I get you?"

"Pizza's good," Phantom answered. "I'm really not that picky…" I rolled my eyes at that. Danny was the same way, I'd noticed. He'd eat anything set before him that remotely resembled food. Must've been a guy thing.

"Got it." I said, walking away to get our food. I'd just finished paying for it when another familiar voice made me glance to my left and make a face.

"Like, don't you have anything less greasy? This pizza's so gross!"

_'Cue the snob…'_ I thought dryly, rolling my eyes before shooting Paulina an irritated scowl. What made her think that she could get away with treating people like that?

"We're sorry, Miss," The guy behind the counter said, blushing (Of course…) "I'll fix that for you personally, Ma'am."

"And hurry up," Paulina told the boy, irritation clear in her voice. "I'm not going to stand here waiting forever again!"

_'One of these days, I really hope someone gives her what she deserves…'_ I thought sourly as I approached the window to order.

"One pizza and a salad, please," I told the girl on the other side.

"Cheese of pepperoni?" The girl asked me.

"Cheese please," Hey, Phantom did say he didn't care, and I wasn't going to watch him eat meat if I didn't have to…

"Hey, Star…" I heard Paulina say, thought I didn't bother looking at her as she addressed the blonde girl, "Is it just me, or is there something familiar about that boy over there…?"

"Which one?" The popular girl's living shadow asked.

"The blonde one with the sunglasses and the hat over there dressed in all the dark clothes," Paulina answered, "See him?"

_'Blonde hair and dark clothes?'_ I thought absently, _'well that's an interesting combination…'_ That's when it hit me and I glanced over at Paulina to see who she was looking at, biting back a groan when my worst fear came true. _'Of course. Out of all the people here, the freakishly obsessive fangirl WOULD be the one to see through a disguise…'_

"Yeah, but I've never seen him before…" Star said, studying Phantom, "At least, I don't recognize him… he is cute, though. For a goth, I mean."

"I know I've seen him somewhere before…" Paulina sighed in frustration, furrowing her eyebrows as she examined the ghost. "Hang on, I'm gonna go talk to him for a second." I drew a sharp breath at that.

_'Oh, man!'_ I thought desperately, _'She can't find out about Phantom!'_ Glancing around me frantically, my eyes landed on the soda the guy next to me was just finishing paying for and an idea hit me.

Stepping closer, I swung my arm around to smack the drink clear off the counter and all over the popular cheerleader.

_**"!"**_ Paulina screamed at the top of her lungs as the drink drenched her hair and clothes, gaining the attention of the entire food court. (Including Phantom.)

"Oops!" I said, feigning guilt, "Sorry about that! Total accident. I can really be a klutz sometimes…." Paulina glared at me, fury clear in her eyes.

"You!" She screeched, "Look what you've done! Do you have any idea how much this outfit COST me?"

_'If it really matters that much to you, you shouldn't have paid in the first place.'_ I pointed out in my head.

"Oops," I repeated. Then, feeling as though I owed her (and the poor, innocent guy who's drink she was wearing.) at least what I'd ruined, I added, "I'll pay for everything of course…" Paulina looked me up and down and sneered.

"Like you could afford it!" she snapped, crossing her arms.

_'Now THAT was uncalled for,' _I thought, glaring at the girl. I didn't care about money, but the tone she'd used when saying that made me want to smack the perfectly-applied make-up right off the girl's face.

"Hey," Phantom said in a placating tone as he approached us, "Take it easy, Paulina. Sam said she was sorry." I felt a little smug about Phantom taking my side rather then Paulina's (The fact that I wasn't actually sorry about anything aside,) so I didn't notice right away that Phantom had just walked into the very situation I'd wanted to avoid.

_'Aw, crap!'_

"And why should I-?" Paulina started in a cold tone before her glare melted into a confused look. "Wait… Do I know you? You sound familiar…"

"That doesn't matter!" I snapped, stepping between Phantom and Paulina, "Look, just tell me how much I owe you so we can all go on our way!" Paulina glared at me.

"Like, what is WITH you?" She demanded with a dark scowl on her pretty face.

"Nothing!" I shouted back "I just want to get this over with so I can hang out with my friend like we planned!"

"You guys aren't going anywhere," Phantom and I turned at the new voice, and I cringed at Dash Baxter grinned down at the ghost sadistically as he cracked his knuckles.

_'Please don't tell me he's actually stupid enough to attack someone who could tear him limb from limb without even touching him…'_ I mentally groaned as Dash grabbed the ghost by the front of his shirt, pulling him into the air. _'Aw, who am I kidding? It's_ **Dash**_!'_

"You might wanna step back," I told some people who were starting to crowd around, stepping away from the jock before the situation got ugly and I got caught in the crossfire.

If it was anyone but Dash, I probably would've asked Phantom to let it go, but I was still a little sore over his comment at the dance.

"I don't want to fight you," Phantom told the football player, his tone serious and sincere. My respect for the ghost went up another notch.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to fight me either if I were you!" Dash sneered, drawing back to strike out at the disguised superhero.

Phantom gripped the boy's arm with both hands and, with superhuman speed and dexterity, flipped himself out of the humans grip, pushing off his arm and over his head to land behind the jock, leaving him blinking in shock at the crowd around murmured in awe.

"Cool!" a younger boy next to me gushed as he gave Phantom a hero-worshippy stare, "Man, that was AWESOME!"

Dash, having finally caught into what had happened, wheeled around to face Phantom again, swinging a fist as he went. Phantom dodged the attack, but his glasses slipped off his nose and clattered to the ground as he did so, exposing his eyes to the crowd. A sharp gasp from Paulina made me cringe as her eyes went wide.

"I'll give you a ten if you give me that," I told the boy next to me softly, pointing to the ice cream cone he was eating and holding out the bill.

"Sure," He said, showing the vanilla-cone-with-sprinkles-and-fudge into my free hand and taking the money. With that out of the way, I walked hastily over to Paulina.

"Oh my God!" Paulina hissed to her friend. "Do you know who that is, Star? It's-!" Anything else Paulina was going to say was lost in her scream when the ice cream found its way down the back of her shirt. _"COLD! __**COLD!**__**COLD!**__"_

"Man, I just can't seem to hold onto anything today…" I sighed in fake mourning as Paulina worked to get the frozen dairy treat off of her back.

_'This is fun…'_

_**"WILL YOU HOLD STILL?"**_ Dash roared at Phantom, drawing my eyes back to the fight.

"You know, for some reason, that isn't so appealing to me…" Phantom commented dryly, giving the jock a pointed look. Dash growled in rage.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, though, a beam of vivid pink energy hit Phantom in the back from somewhere above, making him cry out in pain and surprise as he flew forward from the blast to get tangled up with Dash, his hat falling off somewhere while he fell, revealing him to the crowd of now stunned spectators.

Looking up to see where the blast had come from, my eyes widened when they landed on the girl in the red and black suit who was standing on a hovering jet sled, a large cannon with pink smoke rising from it resting on her shoulder at she glared down at the ghost on the ground.

"Picking fights with innocent people now, ghost?" the girl called out angrily. I frowned when I realized that her voice sounded vaguely familiar…

"Aww, crud…" Phantom muttered, glaring up at the girl. "Can't you find someone else to stalk for a change?"

"Don't hold your breath, ghost boy!" The girl snapped back. "I'm finishing you off once and for all!"

"I was afraid of that…" Phantom said as he flew into the air. "Too bad that means catching me first!" I gaped in shock with everyone else as Phantom flew away at a speed that would make a cheetah queasy, the mysterious female ghost hunter hot on his heels. Blinking out of my shock, I glanced around me and gulped as people started chattering on in excitement.

_'Something tells me now is a good time to leave…'_ I thought, sneaking away before anyone could ask who I was and what I was going with the ghost kid.

"Is one day of normalcy really that much to ask for…" I sighed and scowled at my reflection, Samuel's face returning the gesture, "I mean, being the only girl in an all boys' school is hard enough, I don't need the added drama!"

"You say that like it's not your fault anyways…"

_'Oh, great…' _I thought with a scowl as I turned to glare at the smirking Megan, who was leaning against the door of the girl's bathroom in the vacant gas station I always changed back in.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped angrily.

"I followed you from the fair," Megan answered airily, closing the door as she entered the bathroom, "I just wanted to tell you how cozy you looked with that guy you were with. The one with the glowing eyes and creepy powers?"

"Phantom," I sighed, "And don't go there, Megan, he's just a friend,"

"Really?" Megan asked innocently. "And does Danny know that you and this 'Phantom,' hang out?"

"Of course!" I said a little too quickly, at the same time mentally hitting myself for not mentioning Phantom to Danny earlier. I was sure he wouldn't mind, since he and Phantom were on good terms apparently, but still…

"So he doesn't mind you dating other boys?" Megan asked, crossing her arms. "I find that hard to believe, if you two are really dating…"

"Well then it's a good thing it doesn't matter what you think, does it," I said coolly, "Phantom's just my friend. We were hanging out, okay?"

"And that explains why you got so jealous when Paulina spotted him." Megan said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not buying it, Sam, and you know what? The second Danny dumps you for cheating on him with your little ghost, I'm gonna be there to pick up the pieces, and I can tell you right now that Danny will forget all about you in less then a week…" I scowled at her as she said that, reigning my temper before I punched her as I was tempted to.

"If you think that," I hissed out, "Then you don't know me OR Danny," Megan's smirk only widened.

"Well then," She said smugly, "I guess I'll just have to fix that…" Closing my eyes, I took deep, cleansing breaths as Megan walked to the door. "Only a matter of time, Sammy…"

_'If she thinks Danny would date someone like her, she's insane,' _I thought venomously in my head as the door shut behind the girl. Still, she did say one thing that got me thinking. _'But if I'm really seeing Danny, then is hanging out with Phantom wrong…?'_ It shouldn't be if we didn't do anything, but that wouldn't change the fact that I was attracted to both guys… _'Man, when did things get so messed up…?'_


	16. Chapter 16

"Danny?" I called out as I came into the apartment, flipping the light on. I frowned when I realized that Danny hadn't come home yet, sighing as I set my things in my room, I came back out to head over to Danny's spare laptop. I turned it on, but instead of heading over to DOOMED as I usually did, I brought up the search engine.

When it came up, I pulled the computer closer, tapping a single word into the small box.

_Phantom_

Clicking 'enter,' I groaned when 23,580,421,789 hits came up, ranging from Phantom of the Opera to Phantom Airplanes and everything in between. Sighing heavily, I went back to the search box, adding another word that would hopefully narrow it down a bit.

_Fenton_

This left me with 472 hits, a much more workable number. Deciding that I'd check it out then narrow it down if I had to, I clicked on the first link, a newspaper article. I raised an eyebrow at the headline that glared back at me.

**Ghost Hunters Theorize on Local Ghost Boy**

With everything from the mysterious attack on the mayor during the town meeting in May to the heroic rescue of all of Amity Park months later, questions have been circling around what is becoming the most controversial creature in our small town; The ghost boy Danny Phantom.

_"He's a hero!" Says local Wendy Student Paulina Sanchez, an upstanding and respected young lady in society. "Phantom saved my life! I knew he was a hero before anyone else would give him the chance to prove himself!"_

_Indeed, Ms Sanchez's sentiments are shared by many, as a minor majority of the people of Amity agreed with her during an unofficial poll after the worst ghost attack in the history of Amity Park. Still, enough people still have doubts about the ghost boy's integrity._

_"He's completely uncontrollable," Complains resident John Hatfield, owner of Amity Real Estates, "The damage he and his fights cause on the property in this town climbs higher and higher every day! Not that that ghost hunting girl who's always that his heels helps, either…"_

_While property damage has risen since the ghost attacks began in May, many people still argue that such is a small price to pay for the lives that Phantom has saved in his battles. Such sentiments make this a circular argument, and so we turned to the experts to shed some light on the matter._

_"Phantom is a very dangerous ghost," Madeline 'Maddie' Fenton tells us when pressed for her opinion. "Mostly because we can't categorize him anywhere. His ecto-energies are much stronger then any normal ghost, and he advances at a higher rate then Poltergeists. It's almost like he's a completely new class of paranormal manifestations."_

_"We think it has something to do with the Fenton Portal," Mrs. Fenton's husband, Jack Fenton, adds here. "See, we're starting to think the ghost kid was the first one through the Fenton Portal, and it might've changed him up a bit because of it."_

_"Jack thinks that," Maddie corrects, "I on the other hand, know that for something like that to happen, Phantom would've had to of been inside the Fenton Portal at the exact moment it was turned on. If the immense and probably incredibly painful charge he would've gotten from something like that didn't destroy what was left of him, it might've made him into a kind of 'super ghost,' if you will. But both my son and his best friend were there when the portal first activated, and they both assured me that neither Phantom nor any other ghost for that matter was in the Portal when it was turned on. Danny got a nasty electric charge, but that was the closest someone got to actually getting in the portal when it was on."_

_As far as Phantom's willingness to protect Amity Park at all costs goes, Maddie and Jack give us a very logical explanation._

_"While I don't think Phantom was in the portal when it was turned on, I agree with my husband that Phantom was probably one of the first ghosts through the Portal, if not then the very first. He sees Amity Park as his territory, if you will, and he's simply protecting when he sees as his property from other ghosts who are trying to escape the chaos of the Ghost Zone. Just like how a dog will protect it's bone from other dogs,"_

_Few people could argue with the logic behind this reasoning, though the Fentons also admit that Phantom's attitude towards humanity seems far more docile then most ghosts. With that in mind, we can only hope that Phantom stays 'Top Dog' around here for as long as possible._

I stared at the article in shock for a few minutes, working to process all that information at once. Once I did, though, it only brought me more questions that I would have to ask both ghost and ghost hunter about.

_'Danny never said anything about an accident,'_ I thought, frowning in concern, _'is that how he and Phantom met?'_ But that didn't add up in my mind. There was something here I was missing, something big…

Wait a second…

"Danny Phantom?" I raised an eyebrow, "Phantom's first name is Danny too?" Now that was one freaky coincidence…

'RING!' I screamed out loud at the shrill cry of the phone, jumping about a foot in the air. Blushing, I turned to glare at the phone, which kept on ringing.

Sighing in defeat, I stood up and walked over, picking the annoying piece of plastic up off its cradle.

"Hello?"

_"Sam? That you kid?"_ I blinked for a second.

"Mr. Marchez?" I said, surprised that the teacher was calling me.

_"Listen, Kiddo, I need you to call Dan's sister then get down to the art room now,"_ Mr. Marchez said, his tone deadly serious to the point where my stomach was tying into nervous knots.

"Jazz?" I asked, "Why do I need to call Jazz?" My worry growing, I bit my lips before asking in a hesitant voice, "Mr. Marchez, has something happened?"

_"Its Dan,"_ Mr. Marchez told me, sighing heavily, _"Dan's been hurt pretty badly, kid, and I think it's ghost-related…"_

"Is he doing any better?"

I didn't even pause for breath before the question blurted form my lips, even though I'd just basically sprinted about a mile in a minute to get there. I was too worried about Danny to pay too much attention to the burning feeling in my ribs right now as I gasped for air.

"Can't say, kid…" Mr. Marchez said grimly, "His fever's down to 98.8, but he's still sweating like crazy, and he's getting paler by the second. I think we need Jazz here before we do anything else. When will she get here?"

"She said she'd be over as soon as she could," I replied, running a hand through my hair, "Where is he?"

I've got him over on the drafting table," Mr. Marchez answered, "You don't wanna touch him right now, moving him around too much will only make the poison spread faster." I froze at that.

"POISON?" I repeated, my voice squeaking slightly as I paled, "Danny was poisoned? By who?"

"Dunno," Mr. Marchez admitted, sighing heavily, "I found him in the forest and he more or less passed out in my arms."

"Then how do you know it was ghost-related?" I asked, remembering his earlier comment.

"That Phantom guy and that red ghost hunter were flying around a little earlier then that," Mr. Marchez admitted, "I was out taking some nature shots and saw them, so I took a few pictures just so I'd have some for future reference. A few minutes after Phantom disappeared and the Hunter left, Danny came crashing through the forest with an arm full of lethal poison."

"Phantom wouldn't do that!" I said defensively, glaring at Mr. Marchez. "He's never sink that low!" Mr. Marchez gave me a pointed look at that, raising an eyebrow in a questioning sort of way.

"And how'd you know, Kid?" He asked me. "Contact with ghosts is strictly forbidden."

_'…Oops…'_

"I… uh…" Caught in my own trap, I smiled sheepishly at the teacher. "Can we forget I ever said that?" Mr. Marchez sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I had a feeling you were in on all this ghost stuff," He said dryly. "So you're friends with Phantom, huh?"

"We just talk is all," I said, blushing. "He's not evil. Actually, he's a lot nicer then most of the humans I met recently." I frowned as I said that, thinking of Megan and her manipulative ways.

"Does he know you're a girl?" Mr. Marchez asked absently as he checked Danny's pulse.

"Not yet," I sighed, "I was gonna tell him after I told-!" …Wait a second… "YOU KNEW?" I gaped at my art teacher before realizing what I'd just said, "I-I mean… aw, crud…"

"I told you, kid, it's amazing what you can find out about a person just by asking them ten questions," Mr. Marchez chuckled.

"How did that tell you I was a girl?" I asked raising an eyebrow, "And why didn't you say anything before?"

"Actually, I knew before that," Mr. Marchez said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "No guy your age can have eyes like your, kiddo." Great, now I was blushing… "As for why I didn't say anything… why bother? It ain't any of my business, and you're a better student then most of the guys in my class. Besides, Dan likes ya and you like him, right?" …And it just got ten times worse.

"Um," I shifted around "W-well I…" my blush grew when I saw the teacher's pointed smirk before I took a deep breath. "So, you won't tell anyone?"

"Nah." Mr. Marchez said, "And Dan doesn't know, before you ask… Damn, what did they use on this kid? He's gonna go into a coma at this rate…"

"I'm here Mr. Marchez- Sam?" Jazz gaped at me from where she'd stopped at the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Danny asked me to call his room," Mr. Marchez answered for me, "I had to call Vlad to ask if I could take Dan to the hospital, and after permission was denied I brought him here to see what I could do to help him. Dan woke up a while ago and told me to call Sam and tell him to call you,"

"Why did he want to go through Sam?" Jazz asked, confused.

"Here's a hint," Mr. Marchez answered dryly, "He's a pompous bastard with a large fortune to his name."

"Vlad?" Jazz said, raising and eyebrow and stepping forward to see her brother, "Why would Danny worry about-?" The question fell away when Jazz saw the condition her brother was in, her face paling before her lips thinned in a determined look, "Who did this?"

"We don't know," I answered before Mr. Marchez could say anything. At Mr. Marchez's look, I added (reluctantly,) "But Mr. Marchez said that Phantom and the red ghost hunter were involved."

"She was at it again, huh?" Jazz sighed, "Now it makes sense…"

"Huh?" I said, shooting Jazz a questioning look.

"Never mind," Jazz said, stepping forward. She started to check her brother's wound, and I strained myself to here what she was saying as she did so, "Same poison, but a different potency… probably only meant to knock him out or something instead of killing him…" I swallowed hard at that, almost wishing I hadn't heard it.

Just then, Danny groaned loudly, bloodshot blue eyes opening and fixing on his sister.

"Jazz?" He asked, his tone slurred slightly.

"Hang on, Danny," Jazz told her brother, "I just need to get the poison out, it won't take long." Turning to me and Mr. Marchez, the red head asked, "Can you two clear the room for a while? I'm gonna need some space," I frowned, not liking the idea of leaving Danny in this condition.

"But I-!"

"Let's go, kid," Mr. Marchez said, steering me out the door. As soon as the door closed behind us, I glared at my art teacher.

"That's not fair, Mr. Marchez!" I snapped angrily, "Danny asked for me to be there! I want to help him! I want to know what's going on!" A little more accusingly, I added, "Aren't you worried about him?"

"Course I am," Mr. Marchez said with a dark look, "But I can't help him, not with this, and neither can you. The best thing we can do for him is give Jazz the room she need and wait from him to get better." I sighed heavily.

"I hate not knowing what's going on…" I admitted darkly, crossing my arms.

"Careful with that," Mr. Marchez grinned lightly at me, "That kind of curiosity can hurt you… or someone you love." I blushed and scowled at my teacher, earning a light laughed. Just when I opened my mouth to say something, though, a buzzing sound when off in my pocket, making me jump. "Cell phone?" Mr. Marchez asked, his eyebrow kicking up.

"I left it at home," I said, digging into my pocket and pulling out the Fenton Finder. I frowned when the screen flashed '_CODE RED!'_ over and over again, showing a picture of an evil looking red eyed ghost with blue skin and a very vampiric appearance underneath it.

"What's that?" Mr. Marchez asked, frowning over my shoulder at the picture.

"Trouble," I answered grimly. Shoving the Fenton Finder into Mr. Marchez's hand, I hastily unzipped my backpack and pulled out a small gun-looking weapon I'd snagged from Danny's room when I'd gotten the Fenton Finder. I figured he wouldn't miss it, since he had about eighty others.

I ignored the look on Mr. Marchez's face, my eyes scanning the seemingly empty halls until I finally spotted the weird air shift thing that told you an invisible ghost was there. Biting my lip and steeling my nerves I fired the gun, hitting the unnamed ghost square in the chest and sending him into a wall. Behind me, Mr. Marchez gave a low whistle.

"Nice aim, kid…" He said, clearly impressed. I rolled my eyes.

_'Only he would think of saying something like that right now…'_ I thought dryly as the door burst opened and Jazz came out, a look of fear on her face.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, "I thought I heard…" She gasped loudly when she saw the ghost, who was starting to recover from the shot, "PLASMIUS?"

_'Plasmius?'_ I thought, raising an eyebrow_, 'And I thought Tom Phan sounded weird…'_ Next thing I knew, though, Jazz had snatched the ecto-gun out of my hand and aimed it at the ghost, a fierce, protective scowl on her face.

"What are you doing here, Plasmius?" She snapped, glaring. The ghost chucked as he stood.

"Why do YOU think I'm here, Jasmine?" He asked with a sneer. Jazz's glare darkened.

"It's too late," She said shortly, "He's already recovering, and I'm not going to let you take him."

"You think you can stop me, my dear?" Plasmius raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Do we really need a repeat of Last Christmas, Plasmius?" Jazz asked shortly. I blinked as the ghost blanched.

'Okay, what?'

"Fine, fine," Plasmius sighed, I suppose I'll be on my way… for now." I frowned and glared at the ghost, as he chuckled softly to himself and faded out of view. Instead of looking relieved, Jazz bit her lip, her worry growing.

"Okay, that was too easy…" She said, running a hand through her hair.

"What was that about?" I asked, pointing to where the ghost had been, "Who was he?"

"Nothing," Jazz said, looking uncomfortable, "And no one. Just… Never mind, Sam, I've gotta get back and help Danny, okay?"

"But-!" It was too late. Jazz had already ducked back into the room and shut the door behind her. I glared at the piece of wood that stood between me and the answers I wanted.

'What the heck is going on here…?' I wondered to myself.

"Come on, Danny, you did fine," I rolled my eyes and grinned at the boy, who was sunken into his seat.

"That's what I'm afraid of…" He muttered dryly, running a hand through his hair.

It was Thursday, and just four days after Danny's second mysterious accident. He still wouldn't tell me what was going on, or what it had to do with the ghost boy and that weird red eyed ghost, but I was getting the feeling that whatever was happening now was important.

Danny had just finished holding up his end of his deal with Liz, auditioning for the part of Erik in Phantom of the Opera (Which he insisted was ironic, without telling me why,) and I my opinion doing a great job.

"I just wish we'd seen the other auditions…" I said, resting my chin on the back of the seat. "It would've been better to know what you were up against first…" Before Danny could respond to that, Jazz came out on stage with a microphone in hand and the hopeful actors and their supportive friends quieted almost instantly.

"Okay everyone, first off, I'd like to thank you for auditioning today for our play," Jazz said into the microphone, "It's my job to tell you who'd going to be who now, so please keep quiet until we're done." No one made a sound as Jazz paused for breath, "Alright then, First off, for the part of Madame Giry, we have Valerie Grey…" I blinked at that, glancing around questioningly until I finally spotted where the blushing Valerie was sitting with Tucker.

"Did Valerie say anything to you about trying out?" I asked Danny softly.

"No," Danny answered, not looking too bothered, "Liz probably conned her into it, though…" I grinned at that.

"Makes sense…"

We sat in silence as Jazz read off name after name until finally…

"Okay, not for the three main characters!" Jazz grinned slightly as everyone leaned forward in anticipation. "First off, for Raoul, we have Nate Dobson," I grinned at Danny, a little surprised that his name came up too.

'I would've paid to see his performance…' I thought dryly.

"And for Phantom, by unanimous vote, my little brother Danny," Jazz grinned at Danny as he sank into his seat, blushing brightly.

"Kill me now…" He pleaded, making me laugh.

"And finally, For Christine we have Megan Tyranos!" Jazz finished My grin fell at that as a smirking Megan came over, shooting me a triumphant look.

"Wow Danny!" She said happily, hugging my roommate from behind, "How cool is it that we're in the play together!"

"Uhh…" Danny said, looking a little startled. I scowled at Megan, my eye narrowing as he grin widened.

"Say…" She said innocently, "…don't Phantom and Christine have a big kissing scene near the end of the play?"

_**'?'**_


	17. Chapter 17

_'I can't believe Mrs. Harrison gave us so much homework!'_ I fumed silently to myself, scowling darkly as I made my way back to the Dorms. _'Man, can this week get any worse?'_

Sighing, I rubbed my temples to try and keep my headache at bay even though it was already too late for that. Every day that whole week I'd come back home to the oh-so 'pleasant' surprise of Megan and Danny practicing their lines (And JUST their lines, thank god.) Meaning I had to sit there and try and do my homework as my former friend openly flirted with my roommate and I couldn't do a thing about it.

_'And then there's Phantom…'_ I said thoughtfully to myself, slowing my steps. I hadn't seen the ghost kid since the fair, and honestly I was more then a little worried about him. He hadn't been hurt by the ghost hunter, had he?

"Dude, this is stupid."

I blinked at the familiar voice, turning to the bushes it was coming from as another familiar voice shushed the first angrily.

"Quiet, Tuck!" The second voice hissed, "Do you want her to hear you?" I rolled my eyes in amusement, parting the bushes slightly to see the two boys crouching behind them with their backs to me, both of them peeking around the foliage at something on the path opposite the one I was walking.

"Having fun, guys?" I asked playfully, grinning when the two jumped and screamed.

"Jeeze, Sam!" Tucker said angrily, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Quiet!" Danny hissed again, "Do you want-?"

"Danny!"

I blinked before biting back a laugh at the wince that chased across my roommates face as he turned to greet the enthusiastic yell from the overly peppy girl beaming at him obliviously.

"Ah, hey Megan," Danny said with a pained smile, making me grin widely. I resisted dancing around in triumph, though. Barely.

"I've been looking for you, Danny!" Megan said sweetly. "I wanted to practice our lines some more!" Danny's flinch became more pronounced at that, making me grin wider.

_'Looks like I don't have anything to worry about after all…'_ I thought gleefully, stepping forward to come to Danny's rescue when it was obvious that Tucker (Who was still scared from the last time he'd gotten on Megan's bad side) wasn't going to do anything.

"Actually, Meg," I said, feigning sympathy, "Danny has to talk to Lancer right now. Something about his math grade…" Tucker snickered slightly as Danny made a face at the mention of his Academic Achilles' Heel.

"Great…" Danny muttered sarcastically. Megan scowled at me darkly before she turned a pout to Danny.

"But Dan-ny!" She whined, latching herself to his arm. "We're supposed to practice our lines for the play!"

"Sorry, Megan," Danny said, trying to shake his arm loose, "I'd better go. Besides, we've been practicing together all week. You should practice a little with Nate, too, you've got more lines with him, anyways." Megan scowled for a second before forcing a smile for Danny.

"Guess you're right!" She said sweetly, letting him go at last.

"Don't worry, Megan," I said with a smug smile, "I'm sure he'll do just fine without you breathing down his neck for ten minutes."

"Who asked you?" Megan snapped back, glowering at me before turning to give Danny a bright smile and a little wave, "Bye Danny, call me when you're done, okay?" Glancing at me and Tucker, the girl added (In a much colder tone) "See ya, losers," before she turned with a sweep of her shoulder length black hair and walked towards the exit of the campus.

Naturally, I was absolutely _heartbroken_ to see her go…

"Uugh!" I snorted in disgust, "What a little _snob_!"

"Isn't snob being a little nice about it, Sam?" Tucker joked lightly.

"Who cares?" Danny sighed, "She's gone now, that's what's important."

"True enough," I grinned, "You know you seriously owe me for getting rid of her, right Danny?" Danny blinked before flashing me the smile I was starting to fall in love with.

"Sounds fair, Sam," He chuckled, "What do you want in return?"

"Go back to your girlfriend," I answered immediately, proud at how I managed to keep a blush off my cheeks as I watched Danny's face turn a fire engine red. "If you two get back to dating, maybe Megan will back down for good and I can finally get some peace and quiet. Besides, you still like her, right?" Was it healthy for a guy's face to turn that red?

I glared at Tucker when he snorted loudly, 'accidentally' digging my elbow into his gut. Jeeze, didn't the guy understand the concept of a secret?

"W-well- I- uh…" Danny coughed loudly. "H-Hey, isn't that Liz over there?" I glared as Danny as he scurried past me in a panic. There was no way I was gonna let him off that easy! Scowling, I started after my roommate, reaching out to grab his wrist.

"Oh no you-!" I stopped when my hand closed on air. "Huh?"

While I was standing around wondering what the hell had just happened (And probably looking like a total idiot to boot) Danny took off and disappeared around a corner. Frowning, I turned to give Tucker a confused look.

"What just happened?" I asked him in a bewildered tone. He flinched before laughing nervously, taking a few steps backwards to put some distance between us.

"Well, you know Danny," Tucker responded flippantly. "Whenever he gets weird-ed out, he runs and ducks for cover." I glared.

"That's NOT what I was talking about, Tucker!" I snapped shortly. "My hand went right through Danny's wrist, I saw it! Now what-?"

"Mr. Manson…" I flinched as I felt Mr. Lancer's hand fall firmly on my shoulder, craning around to look up at his placid expression. "I've been looking for you."

"I didn't do it," Was my automatic response. "I don't even know what I didn't do,"

"Relax, Mr. Manson," Mr. Lancer sighed, "You're not in trouble-" (Here he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _'at least not yet…'_) "-I just wanted to speak to you about Sports Day,"

"Sports Day?" I repeated blankly.

"Yes, It's an even we hold once a month here at Casper. A sort of ceremony for both Wendy and Casper students where the children are released from all academic classes for the day and spend the time in various physical activities, from team sports to swimming to track and field," Mr. Lancer explained in a preachy tone. "However, given your… _ahem…_ rare physical condition, I feel it's best if you refrain from participating in any of the activities we offer on Sports Day." I blinked dumbly at Mr. Lancer shifted around, looking oddly uncomfortable.

_'What the heck did Matt tell this guy I have…?'_

"At any rate, since it would be unfair to ask you to do extra academic work, I've come to ask if you mind spending the day in your dormitory, perhaps catching up on some of your other classes? My last check showed your grade in Accounting is dropping…"

_'Duh,' _I thought, rolling my eyes. Accounting was THE most boring class a girl-disguised-as-a-guy could ask for.

"That's fine with me, Mr. Lancer." I replied, a little annoyed he'd interrupted me over something so stupid.

"Excellent." Mr. Lancer said, letting me go, "You may feel free to join your friends for lunch at the usual time, of course, but other then that I'd prefer if you concentrated on your studies,"

_'In other words, keep outta the way,'_ I translated in my head at The Headmaster walked away. Jeeze, why did everyone go out of their way to make everything sound nice instead of being blunt about it?

"Now then…" I said, turning back to Tucker…

…Only to find him already long gone.

I scowled darkly at the spot the tech geek had been standing in, my irritation growing before I sighed heavily and trudged reluctantly back to my dorm, even though I was still confused outta my mind.

Just what the heck was _wrong _with this school?

_'Okay, I'm ready to kill myself right now.'_

Growling in frustration, I threw my pencil across the room, bouncing it off the wall to roll harmlessly to the floor as I glared at the Accounting assignment that was currently offending me.

God, now I sound like my mother…

Looking longingly out the window, I watched as some kids I didn't know played tag football, all of them looking like they were having a blast. I put my hand against the cool glass as a guy wrapped his arms around the girl who was cradling the football, making her laugh loudly as the kids around them hooted and cheered.

A sudden vision of Danny holding me that way flashed in my mind and I blushed vividly, before steeling my resolve and heading into my room.

_'I'm not gonna just sit here and do math problems when everyone else is having fun!'_ I said in my head as I made a quick change from Samuel to Samantha. Besides, I really, reeeeeeally wanted to talk to Danny again as a girl. He'd come in late again last night and got up earlier then me in the morning (How the kid thought he could function on half an hour of sleep I didn't know.) so I hadn't even had a chance to corner him as Samuel.

Of course, as Samantha I wouldn't be able to ask him about how he could literally slip right through my fingers, but I could bring up another question that was almost as important to me; Our status as a potential couple.

_'Everything else can follow,'_ I told myself firmly. He could tell me what was going on with his life, I could tell him about the Sam/Sam thing, and everything would work out okay.

I hope.

After pulling on my favorite combat boots, I headed out of the dorm and to the main campus, passing the kids I'd seen playing and heading deeper into the mass of students to find my roommate.

Which was probably gonna take a while, given the size of Casper's campus and how many students were mulling about…

"Hey, isn't that the one kid Vlad Masters adopted over there at the staff dueling arena?" I blinked as two giggling girls rushed past me, chattering on excitedly about how _totally cool_ it had to be to gain all the money practically overnight.

_'…Or not,'_

After spending a good five minutes fighting my way to the front of the crowd (All the while grateful that few people had the gall to mess with a chick wearing combat boots, no matter how small and skinny she actually was.) I finally got to a place where I could see the two people in the arena the two blondes had been heading in.

And I stopped dead in my tracks.

Danny was in the grassy area designated for staff fighting, alright, along with seven other guys. Five of them were Varsity football players (all grinning menacingly down upon the three smaller kids in front of them,) One was that Mikey kid in my accounting class (who looked like he didn't have a clue what he was doing and kept swinging the staff like it was a baseball bat,) and the last was Nick. (who wasn't really all that much better.)

Nick and Mikey both looked pretty uncomfortably with their current situation, and as such both seemed to be quite content with keeping Danny (Who looked a little preoccupied, and honestly almost downright bored) in the front. I gasped loudly when two of the football players moved in to knock Danny's head off, opening my mouth to yell for him to watch out…

…And forgetting to close it again after watching Danny take down both guys at once with some fancy wrist flick maneuver, his expression never changing even as the two boys moaned in pain in the grass in front of him.

'…Whoa…' I thought, stunned. I never realized Danny could move like that…

Getting over their over shock, the over three football players growled in anger and advanced on the boy to avenge their fallen teammates. Danny dodged their blows easily, without even glancing at them and dug one end of his staff into the biggest guy's stomach, making him drop to his knees in pain.

Then, before the other two players had a chance to react, Danny swung this staff out at one to knock him into the other so that both fell to the ground, hitting one that was attempting to get up on the head.

"Dude!" Nate said, blinking at Danny in awe as Mikey just gaped. "That was… _Dude!_" I bit back a laugh as I glanced around me at all the stunned faces, feeling a little smug for reasons I didn't fully understand.

Grinning widely I started to clap, the only sound in the stunned silence that followed Danny's display of butt-kicking. The sound drew Danny's attention, and surprise flickered across his face at the sight of me as everyone else started to clap and cheer vigorously.

"Sam?" He said uncertainly as he approached me.

"Last time I checked," I responded flippantly, earning a sheepish grin and a light blush. "What's the matter, forget about me or something?"

"No!" Danny said, his eyes going wide, "Actually, I… ah… well, I kinda wanted to talk to you…" I raised an eyebrow as my roommate shifted from foot to foot, waiting for him to go on. "See, I was talking to my sister yesterday…" My eyes widened and my stomach dropped to my combat boots at the word 'sister.'

_'Jazz.'_

What had she told him this time? Did she finally convince him to just give up on me? Did she tell him I was actually his roommate? Or maybe she found another girl out there for him to date instead…

"Man, Danny!" Nate laughed as he came up to us, laughing. "Remind me not to get on your bad side! Hey, who's the babe?" My eyes narrowed at that and my face flushed as I scowled at my… well, technically _Samuel's_ friend.

"Call me Babe again, pal," I growled in warning, "and I swear I'll shove that staff so far up your-!"

"Sam…" Danny warned, sounding like he was trying not to laugh, "Ah, Nate this is Sam, the girl I was telling you about." Wait, he was telling people about me now? What was he saying? "Sam, this is Nate. Don't worry, he's harmless. He just lacks any sort of internal dialog whatsoever," Didn't I know it…

"Nice to meet you, Sam," Nate said, holding out his hand attentively as if wary of me biting it off.

"Likewise," I sighed, shaking the offered hand, "…I think." Danny chuckled a little at that as Nate made a face.

"So, Sam," Nate said, grinning at me, "By any chance would you have a cute older sister who interested in a charming, handsome, talented art student who loves kids, long walks on the beach and-!"

"Hey, Nate?" Danny cut in, sounding faintly annoyed, "Isn't that Lita over there? By the rock wall? _Away from here?_"

"Yeah, but why would I-?" Nate cut himself off mid sentence, a look of dawning on his face. "Oooh…!" He said with a grin, "You want me to pull a Houdini, huh?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Danny sighed in irritation as I coughed out a laugh.

"Alright, I can take a hint," Nate grinned between us, "You lovebirds have fun now, ya hear?" And, before either of us could say anything, Nate ducked away in the crowd.

_**'LOVEBIRDS?'**_ I thought, feeling my face fill with color. Danny coughed nervously.

"Ah, sorry about him," he said, blushing slightly, "He's… well…" I laughed as my roommate made a face, obviously searching for a word to describe Nate.

"It's cool." I laughed. Danny grinned at me, then glanced around.

"Um, think we can talk somewhere a little more private?" He asked me, looking nervous again. My stomach started acting up again here as I tried to look as casual as possible, shrugging and following my roommate to a less crowded area.

"So?" I asked, leaning against a wall and crossing my arms, "What did you want to tell me?" Please, please, PLEASE don't let it be what I think it is…!

"Well… you see…" Danny fidgeted a little and sighed, "Sam, I kinda-!"

That's when the first scream rang out.

"GHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST!" Someone wailed out as everyone started stampeding away in the same direction.

"You have GOT to be-!" Danny started angrily before he realized I was standing there. "Ah, I mean…" laughing nervously, the kid backed away, "Could you excuse me for a second?" And, before could stop him, Danny was gone. I sighed in frustration and glared after him, hating this new ghost more then anyone else on the planet at that moment.

_'You know…'_ I thought sullenly, _'I'm starting to think these guys time these things…'_ Before I could contemplate this any further, though, (To say nothing of hauling after Danny to demand some answers.) somebody grabbed me by the arm and forced me to turn and look at them.

And unfortunately, it was a somebody I really, really didn't want to see.

"Paulina?" I said, raising an eyebrow as the Hispanic girl scowled at me.

"I don't know who you think you are," She snapped, but stay away from Phantom! He's mine, and no little Goth tramp is gonna take him from me!" I blinked before my eyes narrowed in anger.

_'WHAT DID SHE JUST-?'_

"For your information, Paulina," I snapped back, "Phantom's perfectly capable of making his own decisions! Besides, we're just friends." The last part was added as more of an afterthought then anything else, since I really wasn't sure what I thought of either Danny or Phantom.

And to make it worse, two girls who I despised more then anyone else on the planet were chasing after both of them.

"Make sure you keep it that way if you know what's good for you, chica!" Paulina sneered, pushing me and making me lose my balance and fall to the ground, "Otherwise you just might find yourself in a nasty accident!" And, before I could respond, the girl twirled around with a sweep of her long black hair and started away, leaving me to glare after her.

'And to think, I almost forgot how much I hate her,' I thought snidely, sighing heavily. It was probably too late to try and catch up with Danny now, thanks to Miss Conceited, so now all I could do was-

"May I offer you some assistance?" I jumped a little at the offer, made in a smoothed, cultured voice and looked up, startled since I hadn't heard anyone coming. I gasped involuntarily when I met the eyes of the man who had decided to stop and help me.

Vlad Masters.


	18. Chapter 18

_"You… You're…" I gaped, unable to finish my sentence. Chuckling, the man helped me to my feet, bowing in an elegant, old fashion sort of way._

_"Vlad Masters." He introduced himself (needlessly) "I do hope I haven't startled you too badly, my dear, but I thought I just saw you talking to my charge…" Recovering from my shock, I frowned darkly at the billionaire, remembering how much Danny seemed to dislike him._

_"And if I was?" I asked haughtily. I couldn't care less what the likes of Vlad Masters thought of me, after all, and I wasn't about to betray Danny._

_"Calm yourself, my dear girl." Mr. Masters said in an oily tone. "I merely wished to inquire on how young Daniel was fairing. He's saying out of trouble, I hope?"_

_"If Danny wanted you to know, he'd tell you himself, wouldn't he?" I asked, crossing my arms and glaring at the billionaire. Though I didn't know why, I wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible._

_"Yes." Mr. Masters, drawled out, looking amused. "I suppose that would be the case now, wouldn't it, Miss Manson? And I suppose it's only fair to expect him to attempt to keep some things to himself. After all, don't we all have our dirty little secrets?" I shifted, uncomfortable with the piercing, unwavering look Mr. Masters was giving me as he waited for a reply._

_"I guess…" I answered uncertainly. The feeling of danger breathing down my neck became too pronounced for me to handle, so I started backing away. "Look, I gotta go… you're going to have to find Danny on your own."_

_"No worries, Samantha." Mr. Masters drawled out lazily as he watched me go. "Daniel shouldn't be too difficult to locate, after all…"_

"You okay, short stuff?" blinking, I turned away from the window to raise and eyebrow at Liz.

"Of course!" I replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You haven't said a word this entire trip." Jazz pointed out, sounding a little worried. I flinched, knowing she had a point.

"Neither has Danny." I reminded her, glancing to the back of the plane where my roommate was sulking in a highly unapproachable manner, the same dark scowl he was wearing when we first got on the private jet still firmly in place.

"We're going to Vlad's place, kid." Liz said dryly. "Believe me when I say that it's a good thing he isn't talking yet. Once he starts, nothing he says to anyone is gonna be good." I didn't say anything to that, glancing back at Danny again.

Why did he have such a tense relationship with his guardian? I'd never seen anybody hate someone else so much. It buried any hostility me and my parents had with one another…

Then again, there was something creepy about the guy. And not good creepy, either. I'm talking freaky-stalker-caller-person creepy. The kind of guy you try and get a restraining order against.

I mean, in the five minutes I spoke to him after he helped me up, he didn't say anything that was all that freaky, but something about his attitude and the look in his eyes was setting off bells and whistles in my mind. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Jazz, Danny, Liz, Mr. Marchez, and everyone else I knew disliked him so much, but I got the feeling Vlad Masters was a very dangerous man…

_He controls half the jobs in America, dimwit._ I scorned myself sourly. _Of course he's dangerous!_

"Hey, Sam?" jumping slightly, I came out of my thoughts to see Jazz frowning at me in concern. Liz was in the back of the plane talking to Danny, so it was just the two of us in the front. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"Fine." I answered with a sigh. "I'm just tired, I guess… Haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"I know what you mean." Jazz said knowingly. "And I'm really happy you didn't go straight to the press with it or anything. It may take some time to get used to knowing something like that, but I have faith in you, Sam, I know you'll really help Danny now that you know."

…Eh?

"Uh… thanks?" I blinked at Jazz in confusion for a second. "What are we talking about again?" Jazz looked baffled at that.

"I'm talking about Danny's-!" Stopping short, Jazz flinched and gave me a rather nervous look. "He didn't tell you yet, did he?"

"Tell me what?" Did this have anything to do with the attack on Sports Day? He did seem like he was trying to tell me something then…

"W-well… Um…" Jazz laughed sheepishly. "Danny… Danny was supposed to tell you… that I decided to back off about you two dating!" Jazz laughed meekly after that, and I got the feeling there was more to Danny's confession then that. But…

"Really?" I asked, praying that Jazz was being honest with me about this.

"Of course, Sam." Jazz said with a gentle smile. "You two obviously really like each other, so who am I to stand in your way? Just promise to take it slow, okay?" If it wasn't for my complete and utter distain for physical contact, I could've hugged Jazz then and there.

"Attention, Passengers!" The pilot chirped over the intercom. "We're now approaching the landing strip for The Masters Vacation Home in the Colorado Rockies. We ask that you please return all trays to their upright positions and ask you to buckle up for safety. Thank you for your patience, we hope you enjoyed the flight!" My heart jumping to my throat, I reluctantly buckled in before shooting Jazz an uncertain look, surprised at how grim she looked.

"Guess this is it…" She sighed heavily. Danny mumbled something under his breath as we started to descend, but I was sure I heard him wrong.

"At least he's not making us jump this time…"

"Jasmine, Daniel!" Mr. Masters said joyously, throwing an arm around both Fenton siblings. "So wonderful to have you back home for the holidays!"

"Mr. Masters." Jazz responded with a clearly faked smile. "It's… um… nice to see you, too." Danny said nothing, merely scowling darkly at the billionaire.

"And these are your little friends, I presume?" Mr. Masters asked innocently as he turned to me and Liz.

"Yes!" the redhead answered, looking relieved that Mr. Masters had finally released her and her brother. "You already know Liz from last Easter—" Mr. Masters twitched lightly here for some reason as Danny and Liz exchanged grins behind his back. "—but this is Danny's roommate, Sam."

"A pleasure, _my boy_." Mr. Master addressed me with a rather dangerous looking grin. "I do hope your ride here was comfortable?"

"Yes, Mr. Masters." I answered politely, wanting nothing more then to get away from the creepy billionaire. Besides, I really didn't like how he put so much emphasis on those two specific words…

"Anyways." Jazz interrupted loudly, pushing me towards the large mansion in front of us. "We should all really start unpacking and all. Besides, I'm sure Sam wants Danny to give her the grand tour of the house!"

"Oh yes." Mr. Masters said, sounding amused. "I'm sure he does…"

What was that supposed to mean…?

I didn't get a chance to ask, though, since Jazz was pulling me away so fast. Danny and Liz were on either side of me, Liz looking amused about something and Danny still scowling away.

"You can let go now, you know." I told Jazz pointedly, raising an eyebrow at her. She sighed, finally releasing my arm.

"Sorry." She apologized in a tired tone. "It's just…"

"Vlad's an insane fruitloop trying to take over the world." Danny finished for her shortly, clearly having no problems insulting his caretaker.

"Danny!" Jazz scolded as Liz laughed.

"Ain't that the truth!" The brunette chirped with a wide grin.

"Don't encourage him, Liz!" Jazz turned her annoyance to a new source, her brother forgotten. "You know how impressionable younger children are!"

"They're fifteen, Jazz." Liz rolled her eyes. "I think they're getting to a point where they can make up their own minds about junk like that."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to go around and act… well…"

"Lizish?" Danny supplied readily, dodging away as Liz swiped at him and running off with her hot on his heels.

"Why does Danny have such a problem with Vlad, anyways?" I asked Jazz as the two continued to play cat and mouse.

"It's complicated." Jazz answered, rubbing her temples. "Danny will tell you eventually, I'm sure, but for now…"

"Be patient?" I guess, earning a wry grin in response.

"Speaking of that, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about, Sam…" Jazz said softly, glancing attentively over at Danny and Liz. "Look, what my brother wants to tell you… he's never told anyone else in the world, Sam. Ever. He really trusts you, and he wants to be honest with you. Now, I know this is probably asking a lot, but I'd appreciate it if you returned the favor by being honest with him as well."

"You mean you want me to tell him?" I asked, slowing down to a stop. Tell Danny? I wanted to, yeah but…

_Can you honestly see Danny wanting to date someone who lied to him about everything he liked about them?_

Scowling to myself, I pushed Megan's words away.

"Sure, Jazz." I told the older girl. "I'll tell Danny everything, as soon as he tells me, okay?"

"Fair enough, I guess." Jazz sighed. "Now come on, I need to help Liz unpack and Danny's gonna give you a tour, okay?"

"Sure thing!" I grinned as I followed Jazz to chase my roommate down. Snickering to myself as Liz tackled Danny into a decorative fountain in the gardens surrounding the house I couldn't help but think that this vacation was going to be very interesting…

"Have I mentioned how creepy that Packer's display is?" I asked Danny, shivering slightly as we left the elevator.

"Only about twelve times." Danny grinned. I smiled, glad I was helping him get into a better mood about visiting his guardian. Of course, I'd made a complete idiot of myself to do so, but still…

"You don't think Mr. Masters is going to be too upset about the chandelier I broke, do you?"

"Relax." Danny chuckled. "It was only a million dollar chandelier. Vlad could probably get another one installed before dinner." Wow, now that was impressive…

"Still, maybe throwing around that football was a bad idea?" I said with a meek smile.

"Don't sweat it, Sam." Danny laughed as he stopped in front of one of the rooms. "This is where I sleep, Jazz is about four doors down and to the right, and you're taking the room right next door. I've gotta shower and stuff before dinner, so feel free to do what you want in your room until then, okay? Or if you want to explore a little more…"

"Pass." I made a face at the thought. Something told me that I'd need a map if I wanted to venture out on my own here…

"Suit yourself." Danny shrugged, heading into his room. Sighing, I decided to get some unpacking done and walked over to the room Danny said was mine.

And stopped dead in my tracks.

It was three times as large as the room I had when I was living with my parents, with a TV that took up and entire wall, Jacuzzi hot tub, king sized bed with a comfort remote control, and a desk with a computer facing a wall made of glass that looked out to the Colorado Rockies, where the sky was dyed in breathtaking shades of red and gold.

_Obviously, someone's trying to impress me with their money…_ I thought dryly. My eyes widened when I realized some of had already been unpacked, before I sighed in relief when I noticed my clothes bag was untouched.

Somehow, I didn't think there was a reasonable explination for a guy in an all-boys school to be wearing girls panties…

I giggled slightly at the thought of trying to explain that to someone as I unpacked my clothes, which took about five minutes. Realizing I didn't have anything else to do, I logged on to DOOMED to see if anyone I knew was on.

**VictorE-** _Sam! Long time no chat!_

**Chaos-** _Hey, Victor. Anyone else on?_

**VictorE-** _Not yet, but Meg should be on soon._

I made a face after I read that. Fun…

**Chaos-** _Great. The Queen of Evil's coming in too, huh?_

**VictorE-** _You two fighting again?_

**Chaos-** _You might say that…_

_(**GerbilGal** has logged in,)_

**GerbilGal-** _Sam! How's everything out there with Danny?_

**Chaos-** _Fine. He just finished giving me a tour._

**VictorE-** _Who's Danny?_

**GerbilGal-** _Sam's new boyfriend._

**VictorE-** _YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?_

…_What's that supposed to mean?_

**Chaos-** _Danny's not my boyfriend, Vic, he's just a guy I like._

_(**Gem** has logged in,)_

**Gem-** _Hey Vic, Hey Lisa._

**Gem-** _Oh, great. You're here, too?_

**Chaos-** _So what if I am?_

**VictorE-** _Mind telling me what you two are fighting about this time?_

**GerbilGal-** _Danny._

**Chaos-** _Lisa! That's none of his business!_

**VictorE-** _You two are fighting over a guy?_

**Gem-** _And if we are? Besides, it's not really a fight since there's no competition._

I gritted my teeth at that. Why that little…

**Chaos-** _Danny likes me a lot more then he likes you, Megan!_

**Gem-** _Only because you're his roommate. Do you really think he'll be so keen on you when he finds out you're a girl pretending to be a boy?_

**VictorE-** _WHAT?_

Scowling, I started to type out a response to that when I voice behind me made my blood run cold.

"_You're a __**girl?**_"


	19. Chapter 19

"How did you get in here?" Why is it that people always ask stupid questions when they're surprised? If I wasn't suffering from a heart attack at this ghost's appearance, I would have kicked myself for blurting that out. Especially when the girl giggled and shot me a cocky smirk.

"How do you think I got in?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and raising an eyebrow at me in a way that reminded me of Danny. "But seriously, you're a girl? I mean, yeah, you're a girly looking guy, but still…"

"What do you think you're doing in here? Haven't you ever heard of a little concept called privacy?" I kept my voice low, not wanting Danny or anyone else to overhear me.

_Not good… first Tucker and now some weird little ghost girl? And what the heck was a ghost girl even doing in Wisconsin in the first place? Didn't we leave all that behind in Amity Park? _This thought had me studying the girl a little more closely, my eyes widening when I realized something…

"You look like Danny Phantom!"

"I should." The girl said, rolling her eyes. "We are cousins, after all…"

…Ghosts had cousins?

"I'm Dani, with an 'i.' And you are…?"

"More confused then I've ever been in my entire life." I responded, trying to sort this mess out. What were the chances that I'd run into Danny Phantom's cousin on vacation in Wisconsin? Come to think of it, why wasn't she more surprised that I knew her cousin?

"Sam? You okay in there?" I gasped slightly at the knock on the door, my face paling. Grabbing the ghost girl's arm, I shoved her into my closet and slammed the door behind her, ignoring the shriek of protest.

"Fine!" I answered loudly as Jazz came in. "Just playing a little Doomed!"

"That hurt!" The ghost growled from inside the closet.

"Shut up."

"Huh?" Jazz asked, sounding confused. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing!" I grinned nervously at the older girl, mentally pleading her to drop the subject.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sam?" Jazz raised an eyebrow at me. "I could've sworn you were talking to someone in here…"

"I was!" I covered quickly. "I just got off the phone with Tina. She was just telling me about how everything's going at the Foley's place."

"Oh…" Jazz said, still sounding a little confused, but apparently accepting that. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that dinner's at eight on the main floor. Mr. Masters is insisting that we all eat together. Danny showed you the dining hall, didn't he?"

"The one replicated to look like the Packer's football stadium?" I said dryly. "Oh yeah, I remember that."

"So you'll be there on time?" Jazz clarified with a smile. "Danny said he'd go crazy if he and Vlad were the only guys down there, you know." I scowled at Jazz, making her giggle slightly.

"Haha." I said sarcastically. "I'll be there, okay?"

"Alright." Jazz rolled her eyes in amusement as she turned to leave. "Have fun playing your video game, Sam…" I sighed in relief as the door closed, turning back to the closet to let the girl out.

Only to find her head already sticking out of the closet.

"Wah!" yelping, I fell back, landing painfully on the floor. Dani blinked at me in surprise.

"Sorry," she said, walking through the door. "Didn't mean to do that this time."

"Whatever." I sighed, rubbing my now sore butt. Then I gave the girl a confused look when what she said really hit me. "…This time?"

"Long story." Dani said airily, making herself at home on my bed. "So, Jazz knows you're a girl and Danny doesn't?"

"Yes…" I sighed. "And I'll kill you if you tell him." There was a short pause after that where the girl gave me an even look. "you know what I mean!" Scowling I crossed my arms. "And you can't tell your cousin! He still doesn't know I'm a girl, either."

"Duh." Dani rolled her eyes. Before I could ask what she meant by that, the ghost girl spoke up again. "I dunno, though. My cousin and I are awfully close, and I don't know you at all. Why shouldn't I tell the only family I have that he's being lied to?"

"I'm not lying to him!" I snapped. "…Not intentionally, anyways. And I'll tell him everything once I know him a little better."

"What about Danny?" Dani asked, giving me a searching look. "You're living with him, so what's your excuse for not letting him in on your little secret, huh?"

"I'm going to tell Danny once he comes clean with me." I explained, sighing. Dani blinked at me.

"When he— you know?" Alarmed, Dani shot up, looking a little wary now. "How much do you know? Who told you?"

"No one told me anything." I replied, a little surprised at her reaction. "I just kinda put two and two together. I know Danny's a ghost hunter, and I know he's got some sort of alliance or friendship or whatever with Phantom, but that's pretty much all I've figured out." For some reason, Dani looked even more stunned after my explination was over.

"You… you think…" that was all the girl managed before she dissolved in a fit of laugher. I scowled slightly, blushing and feeling stupid for some reason or another.

"You know, I'm really getting tired of getting that reaction every time I try and tell someone what I've figured out." I told her, annoyed. "Anyways, things are kinda complicated with me and Danny right now, so…"

"Complicated how?" Dani asked once she overcame her giggle fit. She still had this weird I-know-something-you-don't-know type smirk on her face though, so I couldn't bring myself to fully forgive her.

"We're kinda seeing each other." I admitted, blushing slightly. To my surprise, Dani looked stunned for a moment, before she paled rapidly.

"You mean…" she stammered out. "You… and Danny… but he… I thought…" I was confused for a moment before I realized what the little girl's problem was, blushing in humiliation when it hit me.

"Girl me!" I shouted, embarrassed to no ends. "He's seeing girl me!" Dani looked relieved at that.

"Oh…" She said, laughing sheepishly. "I thought there was something Danny wasn't telling me there for a second. I mean, not that I'd have a problem if he really did like—!"

"Just. Stop. Talking." I buried my burning face in my hands, trying to will this conversation far from my thoughts so that I wouldn't die of shame the next time I saw Danny.

"Will do." Sighing, I glanced over at the alarm clock next to my bed, wincing at the time.

"Anyways, I'd better go." I told the ghost with a sigh. "I've only got ten minutes to get to dinner… Stay here and if anybody comes in, hide!" I still wasn't all that happy about having this girl around, but I definitely owed her cousin enough to tolerate babysitting her for at least a little while.

"Yeah, yeah…" Dani rolled her eyes. "Bring me back something to eat, okay?"

"…ghosts eat?"

"What, you haven't met the Lunch Lady yet?" Dani asked, laughing slightly. "We need to get our energy from somewhere too, you know, and eating's a lot nicer then some of the other ways to do it. Like Spectra's misery thing, or Desiree's inability to hear a wish without granting it…"

"…Never thought of that…" Making a mental note of this Desir-whatsit just in case this was going to be the next ghost to make my life miserable, I headed to the door. "Anyways, I'll try and bring you back whatever I can."

Sighing in relief as I shut the door behind me, I made my way to the elevator, trying to figure out the best way to hide a twelve year old manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post human consciousness from my roomie, his sister, her best friend and a creepy multi-billionaire.

Compared to being a girl in an all boys school, that'd be a walk in the park.

_This is gonna be a piece of cake._ I realized, smiling to myself as I pushed the button. _For once in my life, there's no way things can get any worse for me…_

"Isn't this so romantic, Danny? I just love a good, cultured meal like this! More escargot?"

…_I've really gotta learn when to shut my big fat mouth._

Scowling, I glared across the table at Danny's Thanksgiving Date, one of the few girls on earth that made me long for a gun to kill myself with every time her name alone was spoken in my presence.

Morgan Manson.

Not ringing any bells? Remember that cousin in the first chapter? The mink wearing English cousin I was supposed to go to school with? Yeah, that Morgan…

"You know Danny, I don't think I've ever seen eyes like yours! They've got to be your best feature! Not that you have a single feature that isn't to die for."

…That Morgan who was currently clinging onto my roommate like the soulless leech she truly was.

"Think we should hold her up to that dying part?" Liz whispered to me dryly, eyeing my cousin, who was sitting so close to Danny that she was practically in his lap.

"Just find me a blunt object and an alibi and it'll be a reality." I muttered back.

"So Morgan!" Mr. Masters said warmly before Liz could add word to the dark grin she flashed me. "You're enjoying America so far, yes?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, Mr. Masters!" Morgan gushed brightly. "And so friendly! I feel like I've lived her my entire life!" That was probably helped by the fact that she was born and raised her until she was eleven. "Thank you again for inviting me to this special holiday meal!"

"My pleasure, dear girl…" Mr. Masters dipped his head in a mock modest sort of way. "After all it's the least I can do for your family after your horrible tragedy…" Morgan and I gave the man identical blank looks at that. Tragedy? Did someone die or something? Surely Matt would've told me if something like that had happened…

"Tragedy?" Morgan repeated out loud.

"Your cousin's still missing, is she not?" Mr. Masters asked innocently. My heart stopped in my chest as a strange look passed Morgan's face.

"Oh, right…" She said unenthusiastically. "Samantha…" A twitch on my part here. "Yes, the whole family's dreadfully worried about her."

_I bet_. I rolled my eyes. Morgan still hadn't forgiven me for smearing all of her favorite fur coats in neon orange paint.

"Has there been any luck finding her?" Mr. Masters pressed.

"Not yet." Morgan said tightly. "But we're all hoping for good news to come soon."

"Wait, there's a Manson who's missing?" Liz asked, sounding a little alarmed.

"Why yes, of course." Mr. Masters sounded surprised. "You didn't know? Young Mathew's sister has been missing for months now…"

"Matt's sister's missing?" Liz repeated, her voice going up an octave and her eyes widening as her fork dropped back to her plate. "He never said a word to me about it!"

_!_ I winced, revisiting the urge to bang my head against the table as I shot Jazz a frantic look. She just shrugged helplessly, looking almost as afraid as I felt.

"Really now?" Mr. Masters hummed thoughtfully. "That's strange… I thought Mathew was close to young Samantha…"

"They are close." Liz insisted stubbornly, apparently offended on my brother's behalf. "I mean, Sam's gotta be the only person in his whole family he actually likes." Morgan scowled at Liz, looking insulted at that. I would've laughed out loud if Liz hadn't turned to give me a thoughtful look. "Well, I guess that's not totally true. He seems to like—"

_BANG!_ Liz jumped and yelped loudly in pain, turning to glare at Jazz.

"You kicked me!" She said accusingly. Jazz laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry!" She said brightly. "I was uncrossing my legs…"

_Gotta remember to thank her for that._ I noted to myself as relief overcame me. Seizing my chance, I changed the subject.

"So, Mr. Masters!" I said loudly. "You… erm… like… football?" I grasped desperately at the first thing that came to mind, flashing the billionaire a (hopefully) convincing smile.

"Yes, yes I do." Mr. Masters said conversationally. "Do you know anything about football?" I opened my mouth to reply when I realized that I didn't know anything. Football was one of the sports I'd come to most detest, due to the fact that it was generally the sport of choice for everyone and everything I stood against.

"Actually, no." I admitted, my smile straining. "Think you can explain it to me a little? I'd love to learn…" Across from me, Danny suddenly started choking on his soup, which might have been funny if Morgan didn't immediately start cooing over him with her napkin…

"Of course!" Mr. Masters said joyously. "…right after dinner."

_WHAT?_

"At any rate, if there's anything I can do to help find your dear cousin…"

"It's fine, Mr. Masters." Morgan said tightly. "There's no need to trouble yourself, my aunt and uncle have everything under control."

"Well, could I at least have a picture of her of something to show around the party, just to have everyone keep an eye out for her."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Masters." Morgan said with a frosty smile. "I'm afraid I don't carry pictures of my cousin."

"Matt's gotta couple." Liz piped up, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Wait, now that I think about it, Sam looks exactly like—"

_BANG!_

_"Will you stop kicking me!"_

"Sorry, recrossing my legs." Liz scowled darkly at her best friend, clearly irritated to no ends.

"Jeeze, Jazz, what's your prob…" Liz trailed off here a look of dawning on her face. She blinked a few times, then glanced between me and Jazz.

"Problems?" Mr. Masters asked in amusement.

"Of course not Mr. Masters!" Jazz said quickly, making a furious hand motion as she shook her head vigorously. She screeched in surprise when her hand was grabbed out of the air by Liz, along with my wrist.

"You and you!" Liz snapped shortly, yanking us out of the dining room. "We need to talk. _Now._"

As soon as we entered the empty kitchen Liz dragged us into, the brunette turned to scowl at Me and Jazz.

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

"What gave you that idea, Liz?" Jazz squeaked with a nervous smile.

"Hmm, lets see…" Liz said sarcastically. "Number one; Mrs. Perfect Snob doesn't seem to recognize her own cousin, why?"

"We're not that close?" I offered. Hey, it's true…

"Number two; there are two Sams in the Manson family, Samuel and Samantha. Both the same age with the same hair and eye coloring and similar builds."

"…My family isn't very creative?" Another true point!

"Number three; To my recollection, Sam Manson looks identical to Sam Falcon, Danny's girlfriend. Who, by the way, has never been seen in the same place at the same time as Samuel here."

"…Um…" Crap, she had me there…

"Number four; Matt's sister's gone missing, and not only done he not say a word about it to anyone, but he also doesn't even seem that concerned." There too…

"Th-there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that…" Jazz said hastily, pausing to try and think of more to add to that.

"And number five; You and Matt have been hiding something since this school year started, and I'm willing to bet my bruised knees that it has something to do with Sam Manson." Jazz and I exchanged glanced before she sighed in defeat.

"Liz…" The redhead started when the door opened yet again.

"Ah, there you three are!" Mr. Masters said happily. "Jasmine, Lizella, do you mind if I talk to Samuel privately for a moment? It's concerning young Daniel."

"Isn't it always?" Liz said sarcastically under her breath. "Look here, fruitloop—!"

"Did I mention that Daniel and Morgan are currently unsupervised?" Mr. Masters said innocently. Jazz winced, then sighed slightly, giving me a worried look.

"I'm fine, Jazz." I promised her. "Go save your brother before Morgan does something she'll regret later…" Still looking a little uncertain, Jazz sighed and pushed Liz out of the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Masters.

_Joy…_


	20. Chapter 20

Hi guys. I finally decided to continue in WingsOfMorphises story again. I actual asked her what her plans were, so this chapter was at lease thought through lol. I'm sorry for the wait. Wow. I stayed up rewriting this for... 3 hours I believe. (This is incredibly annoying to type on something other than a computer. Lol) it's 7 am x.x I will sleep. Enjoy... Please. No really. I hope this doesn't suck.

* * *

Vlad Masters was probably the second to last person I wanted to talk to right now.

"So... My dear Samuel." Vlad grinned a grin that showed all of his white teeth. "How are you enjoying your stay so far? I hope everything is... Enjoyable?"

I didn't know where this was headed, but I didn't think it would be good.

"Of course, Mr. Masters." I kept my reply short. No need to make this longer than necessary.

"Ah... Very good then." Mr Masters' grin didn't waiver. "Hmm... So, I've heard a lot about you, and your lovely family Samantha dear. Tell me, do you miss them yet?"

'Oh no. This isn't good' my mind was racing. The last thing I needed was for this to happen.

"Oh! That's right. Right now you happen to be playing the role of Samuel, not Samantha, now is that right?" His face was turned up in one of evil desire.

I couldn't help but take a sharp intake of air. "And I guess you want to know just how I knew that. Well you see... I investigated you just a bit. It want very hard either. Especially considering you don't look all that different."

I held back a sigh that was deep within. A look of calm anger across my face. I looked into his eyes. "What is it you want. You wouldn't bring this up otherwise."

"Oh. Smart girl. It's nothing too much. Just for you to work for me is all." Vlad started a slow pace, staring me down. But before I could respond with an answer, he continued again. "Of course if you wish to decline, it seems as though your brother Mathew will get the blame. The police will most definitely charge him of, well kidnapping. Then there's your parent. They will surly find out what you two have been up to."

I couldn't believe it. He was trying to blackmail me! My anger rolled off me in coils. Matt was just trying to help me escape from internal, and possibly mental suffering. I really wanted to tell him to back off, but of course not in those words.

I huffed. "Fine. Have it your way, but once my secret is out, this ends." I glared at him. 'Now I'm beginning to see why Danny loathes him so much.'

Vlad masters put a single hand on my shoulder. "Well! Now that all of that is all sorted, lets go back to the others!" His cold hand steered me back to the glorified dining room.

I sat in my seat and glanced at Danny. Morgan was persistent on feeding him pasta but he would only decline.

I suddenly felt very tired. Jazz nudged my arm and whispered. "So, what happened?"

"Oh nothing much. Just that Vlad Masters is an evil, blackmailing, jerk!" It came out in a sort of hiss, in my attempt not to screech it. "Jazz, I'm so screwed."

Jazz patterned my arm to reassure me. It didn't.

I tried to eat more of my yogurt raisin salad -I am not eating escargot. Eww- but couldn't. I excused myself from the table, sure that Jazz was going to keep an eye on Morgan, and Vlad for me.

I found my way back to my room and collapsed on my bed.

this is just to help with any (really long lasting) addictions you may still have. I will write more, no worries.

Peace out.

X.X


End file.
